Of Mages and Tyrants
by achingblood
Summary: Ricken has finally found someone he's in love with, but when tensions rise within Ylisse, and one of their leaders becomes an unexpected tyrant, they may need to part ways, even if the mage doesn't want to let go. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:** Just a small note, not to spoil too much, but this is an AU piece. Not much has changed from awakening cannon, except Ricken is slightly older, "Marth" hasn't appeared, and Chrom…. Well you'll see what's up with him in future chapters.

She would never even look at someone like him, but he still couldn't help himself from looking at her.

She's the newest tactician in the army and Chrom already seems to trust her with his life. Everyone seems to adore her in fact, except of course Frederick, who is cold to anyone he doesn't know. She's smart, strong, kind, and to Ricken, she's the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

They first met at the boarder pass of Ylisse and Plegia, Chrom introduced them. She said her name was Robin, and complimented him on his magic, his reflexes that helped him jump to the defense of Maribelle. Ricken often prided himself on his manners, but he stumbled on his words at their first meeting, barely able to say his name. He scolded himself for that later, for acting like such a child in front of her.

She didn't seem to mind though, because it was only three days later that she approached him again. She had a simple request, to train together. He had only seen her fight with a sword, so was surprised by what she asked, but agreed to help none the less. It was a good excuse to spend time together, and he could show her more of the magic she seemed to admire.

They practiced several times together. She always seemed so amazed by what he was able to do with his magic, and he found he was actually a good teacher. She was getting better through the lessons. It was of course a confidence boost, and it really showed around camp. Ricken was happier, more talkative. He didn't even need to be around Robin to have a smile on his face, it was everything that came with being around her that made him happy.

The initial attraction he felt to her developed into something more. Her laugh made his heart jump, her smile made his cheeks flush. She was the only woman that made him feel that way.

But it was one day when he was showing her how to use a particularly explosive tome that he heard her giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asked, taking his gaze off the burning dummy to look at her.

"Nothing," she said, "You just don't expect that much strength and power to come from someone so… Little I guess."

And that was it. Of course she would never see him truly as an equal. Just like all the other shepherds, she would see him as the little brother that follows them around everywhere. Not a real soldier, not a real man. He goes to put out the fire so she doesn't see the blush rising to his cheeks.

After that day he stopped training with her. He'd make up excuses, volunteer for scouting missions with Chrom, do anything he could to avoid her. Everyone in camp seemed to notice his drop in mood but he didn't care. He knew that the person he wanted was out of reach, she would never feel the same way for him that he felt for her.

Three days later she came to his tent just as he was about to enter. "Ricken?"

He turned to her, knowing there was no way he could get out of talking to her now. "Yes Robin?"

"Can we talk privately?"

He hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes, of course…" He said and then glanced at his tent. "Want to come in?"

She nodded and they walked in together. They both sat down, Ricken on the head of his bedroll and Robin at the foot of it. She bit her lip, her eyes on the ground for a few moments before she looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "Did I do something wrong?"

He had never seen the skilled tactician so quiet and timid. In truth, he didn't know how to answer her question. She hadn't done anything wrong really. The comment was just offhand, she didn't mean to offend him, and it wasn't her fault at all that he developed feelings for her. Hell, it wasn't even her fault that she saw him as a child. Everyone saw him as one, despite him coming of age several months before. Nothing she had done was wrong, but all of the unfortunate circumstances culminated into something that cut him deeply.

But he couldn't tell her that. If there was even a slight chance that that information could hurt her he didn't want to take it. "No, you didn't do anything wrong," he said, "It was just something stupid."

"Well if it made you mad at me I doubt it's stupid," she said, and then thought back to the last day they had trained together. "Is this because I called you little, Ricken?" She asked.

His cheeks flushed deep red and he turned away. "I'm just… Not a little boy Robin…"

"Ricken…" He looked back at her, having a soft sympathetic smile on her face. "I don't see you as a little boy. That's not what I meant at all," she admitted. "All I meant was most mages that I had seen with your power are so much physically bigger. Taller. They look like the type of people to hold such power. But you? I don't think you're a little boy Ricken. I think you're magnificent."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. Her lips were warm against his skin and it only made him blush deeper. When he looked at her he saw her cheeks were pink as well. She stood and left the tent without a word, which was good for him. He had no words to give after that.

The next day he acted as if everything was normal and got back to training with her. They practiced tomes and he was glad to see her smile again, hear her laughter. He wasn't sure what to say about what happened in the tent, and she didn't seem to bring it up, so he kept away from the subject.

They trained like this for days, but with each passing day the thought of her lips on his cheek ate away at Ricken. It kept him up, distracted him from his chores, which Frederick was very harsh about. Worst of all was when he hesitated in battle, almost getting Chrom hurt. He knew he couldn't handle the distraction, he would have to tell her.

After training, when the area was nearly cleared, he blurted it out. "Robin, I really like you. I can't stop thinking about you…"

She laughed, which almost dashed his hopes, until he saw the same rosy blush she had the other night. "Took you long enough to say it."

"You knew?" He stammered and she giggled.

"Of course. You aren't all that subtle you know… I thought I wasn't either. But I guess you can't take a hint," she teased and stepped forward, he felt heat rise to his cheeks, causing another giggle from her. "You're cute when you blush."

"H-hey! I'm not cute!" He groaned and she laughed a little louder. No one else was around to hear though, or to watch them. She stepped forward again and took his hands in hers. He was still clearly very nervous. "I'm… Still younger than you, you know."

"I know," she said.

"And I'm shorter than you too."

"I know."

"I'm probably much weaker than you in battle…"

She didn't respond to that one.

"Does none of that bother you?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head. "No… Does it bother you?"

"It doesn't bother me," he admitted, feeling her hands warm in his. "It worries me though… I think you're perfect Robin, and I like you a lot. But I don't want anyone to view you any differently because you're with me…"

"Who cares how they view me?" She asked, squeezing his hands and giving a reassuring smile. It did nothing to calm him.

"I care. I couldn't stand anyone treating you differently because of me," he said and closed his eyes, sighing. "I know it's stupid."

The way he said it made her face soften. His strength is what attracted her to him as a training partner, but his kindness is what made her fall for him. "Hey, it's not stupid Ricken," she said. "If that worries you then… Let's not tell anyone we're together. At least for a little while."

"Are you sure you would be okay with that?" He asked. He never wanted to make her feel as if he was hiding her, which would be the last thing he would want to do. If he could he would proudly be her love. But their age difference was hard to ignore, people in the camp would talk, mostly about her. He wouldn't want that for her.

But she nodded, seeming understanding to how he felt. "Yes. As long as you feel comfortable, I don't mind what we have to do. I don't intend on letting a relationship just slip away."

She quickly checked around before giving him a kiss. It was quick, but very soft and passionate, lasting only a few moments. When she pulled away he swore he could still feel her lips against his, feel her breath and her heartbeat.

"I'll see you later, okay?" She asked and he nodded, awestruck by the kiss. She giggled one last time before walking away.

That was three days ago. He honestly never thought she would go for someone like him, but now he knows different.

Still, he can't stop himself from staring at her. But now when she catches him, she blushes, gives a shy smile, and then goes back to work.

 **Hope you like the story so far, if you do reviews are always nice.**


	2. Chapter 2

As the seasons passed Robin and Ricken's relationship only grew stronger, although it still grew in secret. The two made sure no one saw their hands linger together too long, their quick kisses and sweet conversations. It was harder, particularly after difficult battles. It took all of Ricken's strength not to run to Robin panicked as she got wounded by a risen once, and Robin held back tears as the army had to search for Ricken after an intense battle.

Hiding their relationship was more out of habit than anything else. Ricken was still adamant that people might treat her strangely, but she still didn't mind hiding their feelings. Their relationship was no one's business but their own, why should they need to know?

Even through the war there were multiple marriages in the army, or at least well known relationships. Lon'qu got over his fear of girls to marry Panne, the equally antisocial Taguel. Sumia fell for Stahl, and they were married soon after. Lissa found her match in her best friend Maribelle. Gaius had fallen for Cordellia, and she had the same feelings, though neither would admit it. Even Nowi and Gregor had a strange but loving relationship. Everyone seemed to have someone.

After a while it appeared to most that Chrom, Robin and Ricken were the single ones. None of them minded the label, or how people talked. Chrom would even joke about how none of the girls wanted to date a prince anymore, all loved knights. Robin and Ricken knew the truth, that they weren't single, but let everyone believe it. Everything was happy for the army.

Then Emmeryn died.

It happened at night. No one was expecting a raid on the castle, an assassin in the confusion who had the sole purpose of killing the Exalt. The guards assigned to her were killed, and she was killed shortly after.

Chrom and Lissa took the news hardest, but it shook the army to the core. Emmeryn was loved by all who followed her and no one could truly understand the death.

But life had to move on. Chrom was named the new Exalt, although he fought the title at first. He couldn't believe that Emmeryn was dead, he refused to live his life as if she were. It took talking to Lissa to get him to finally accept the crown, as reluctant as he was.

But everyone noticed a change in Chrom as soon as he took his crown. The carefree smile he often wore was now gone, replaced by a stoic glare. His voice was cold, hard, and emotionless while giving directions. In battle he became ruthless, showing more aggression and violence than had ever been seen in him before.

Worst of all though, he became careless.

He would send troops blindly into battle because he thought the assassin that murdered Emmeryn would be among the enemies. He would never plan ahead and consulting Robin became an afterthought. If anyone questioned his decisions he would become enraged, often being heard shouting that he was forced to take the crown, and if they didn't want him as a leader they shouldn't have made him the Exalt.

Robin was the only one who could calm him. She assured him time and time again that no one was questioning his leadership, that they were just pitching other ideas. She had to do this every day, making sure Chrom was calm enough to lead. She would never question him, but simply try and lead in a way he couldn't detect. Most in the army listened to her more than they listened to him. Everyone thought it would be temporary.

But another season passed, and Chrom never went back to normal. Everyone else had to, as much as they could with him as their leader.

Robin opens Ricken's tent and climbs inside, closing it right away. Ricken looks up from his book of spells to see her. It's just another night that she has come in without a smile on her face, looking completely exhausted.

"Robin…" He says as she lays down beside him on top of the small bedroll. "You look exhausted."

"Thank you Ricken, I needed to hear that," she mumbles, meaning to sound sarcastic but not having the energy. He sighs.

"Chrom again?"

She stays silent and he wraps his arm around her absentmindedly, putting his book away. She snuggles close and closes her eyes. "His sister died… He just needs time."

"I don't like seeing you like this," he murmurs, "He's working you into the ground. I know his sister died but… He isn't being fair to you. He's being a poor commander and you are paying the price for it."

"Can we not do this tonight?" She asks and glances up at him. "It's our last night together. I want to spend it with you, happy. Not talking about Chrom."

Ricken had gotten word three days ago that his mother was sick. He was of course worried, and needed to head back to see her. With how far the army was, he knew it would take at least a month to journey there, see her, and come back. As much as he wanted to see his mother, he was worried to leave. But Robin convinced him to go, and when Chrom found out he basically ordered him to, seeming angry that Ricken would give up the chance to be with a possibly dying family member.

"Right, sorry." He leans down and kisses her sweetly, becoming bolder with his affections to her. The two had become close in every way, and Robin was pleased that the man was once embarrassed to even hold her hand in private was now open enough to kiss her. She kisses him back and smiles lightly.

"You worry too much about me," she says, "You're going to end up getting wrinkles from worrying so much."

He smirks. "That could be good. I'd finally look old enough for you."

"What, are you saying I have wrinkles now?" She laughs and sits up to look at him properly.

"Well, in comparison to me you are an old lady…" He teases and she hits his arm.

"Okay, well if I'm an old lady then you're obviously just a little boy."

"Well if that's the case then you're just a creep, Robin."

"Mhm, right. Shut up," she says and then kisses him deeply. He puts his hands on her hips as he continues to kiss her. She straddles his lap and pulls back on the kiss, much to his disappointment, but smiles at him.

He reaches up and brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes. It's autumn, starting to turn to winter, the air growing colder around them. The warmth of her body next to his has become his new favorite sensation, feeling her shiver at the touch of his fingers. He still has the more intense reactions to her touches, blushing at so much as holding hands, although they both learned to ignore it. She knows how to get his heartrate up, and can tell when it's pounding in his chest.

But she shivers when he touches her, bites her lip after a passionate kiss. He notices the little things she does when they are together, loving every moment of it.

"I want to tell everyone we're together when I come back," he tells her and smiles nervously. "I want to be with you… For real now."

A huge smile spreads across her face. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself close to him, once again kissing him. It's messy for one of her kisses, but all the more meaningful. Her not holding back her affections for him. The kiss lasts for a good moment before she pulls away again.

"I'm so happy to hear you say that. I love you Ricken, I love you so much."

His eyes widen when she says love. He has felt it for awhile, but never said the words himself. "I-I love you too Robin. I promise to make you so happy for as long as you'll let me."

She laughs. "That's a big promise, because I don't intend on letting you go for a long time…"

"Good." He smiles. "I'm going to miss you while I'm away though."

"I'll miss you too. But it's only one month. After that you'll come back and then we can be together again."

"Yeah," he says and the two of them shift so they are laying down together. She rests her head on his chest. "I love you Robin."

"I love you too Ricken," she says quietly, content to stay in his arms forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin was handling Ricken's departure just fine. For the first couple days she had to keep reminding herself that he would be back, and then get herself excited for the fact that she would be able to tell everyone they were together finally. Besides, she was busy enough commanding the army that by the end of the first week she was barely thinking about him. The only time her mind did wander back to Ricken was at night, especially the cold ones.

She could handle his absence though. It was only a month, she was strong enough to be without him for that time, and she knew that he was strong enough without her to be okay too.

The army strategy meeting went as all of them had gone since Chrom had become Exalt. He would pitch a dangerous mission, Frederick and Lissa would stay quiet, someone else, usually Sully or Cordellia, would speak up against him. It would take Robin to soothe him, but eventually she could talk him into doing what was best for the army.

The rest of the army strategists leave the planning tent, leaving Robin to put away her maps. She's rolling one up when she feels someone staring at her. She glances over at Chrom who still sits in the room, his eyes fixed on her. She finishes rolling up the maps and puts them away in a heavy wooden trunk, closing the lid. It sounds even louder with the silence between them.

"I know you were hesitant about the decision we made, but I think it's for the best that we hold off on that invasion until reinforcements arrive," she says, just to make conversation. Chrom still just watches her in silence. "The Plegians don't seem too eager to make the first move, so I really think we have time to wait."

"I know." He has a heaviness in his voice, a darkness that was never there before. He had his serious moments before Emmeryn died, but he also found moments to laugh, smile, and be carefree and fun loving. Now that's gone. "The Plegians killed Emm, Robin."

"I-I know," she says. "But risking the army for that… Emmeryn wouldn't want that."

"I know," he says quietly and stands, walking over to her. His dark blue eyes lock with hers as he steps closer. She stays where she is, against the table in the room, unsure how to react. Once they are very close he reaches up and strokes her hair softly, making her shiver. Not the good kind of shiver that Ricken causes from her. "Are you afraid of me?" He asks, dropping his hand.

"No…" She lies, holding eye contact the entire time. She doesn't think he would ever hurt her, but there's an intensity about him that makes him unpredictable. It has been there since Emmeryn died. He hasn't physically hurt anyone in the army, but he has yelled a lot. It puts her on edge. "I'm just not used to being so physically close to someone as all."

He doesn't back away, but nods as if he understands anyway. "I wanted to thank you for being here for me… I don't know what I would have done without you here."

"I'd do anything for the army," she says. When he keeps looking at her she pauses. "And for you. I just want the Plegians to be stopped. Ylisse to go back to being a peaceful nation."

"Yes, that is what I want too," he says and steps away, running his hand through his blue hair. "They don't trust me anymore Robin. None of them do. The army is going to fall apart."

"No, it won't," she says and crosses over to him. "It will just take time. But they will listen to you. They are all very loyal to you-"

"But they don't _trust_ me." He emphasises and sighs. "If they don't trust me then their loyalty will fade, they won't listen to my orders."

"Well," Robin starts and then tilts his head so he's looking at her, their eyes meeting. She smiles softly to encourage him. "Earn their trust Chrom. It will take time but I know you can do it. These people aren't just loyal to you, but loyal to Ylisse as well."

"We may not have that time," he murmurs and steps forward again. Her heart jumps again as he does, but she doesn't move. "They already trust you Robin…"

She knows he's right. Most of the army now waits for her command after Chrom gives his. She's a brilliant tactician, she knows how to lead. "They do trust me," she admits.

"Exactly," he says and reaches up, stroking her cheek this time. In the back of her mind she thinks about Ricken, how he should be the only one touching her like this. "Lead with me, Robin."

"W-what do you mean? As the army commander?" She asks, knowing he officially holds that title but she has been basically doing the job alongside him since he was named Exalt.

"No," he says, "As my wife."

It's as if she could feel her heart stop. There's no way this is really happening to her. For months she had put up with Chrom, been the one person to stay by his side and try do what's best for everyone, including him. But he was so distant all that time, and she was with Ricken. He had never even discussed dating, spending time with her alone, and marriage certainly was never discussed.

"Why marriage?" She asks and takes a step back. "Chrom we barely know each other personally. We haven't been alone together in months."

"As the Exalts wife you will have similar authority to me. The army will regain trust in the royal family," he admits and steps towards her again, almost making her flinch away. "Do you not want to marry me, Robin?"

Her name sounds disgusting in his mouth, at least in this moment it does. This shouldn't be happening, not like this, not now.

"Chrom, I can't marry you," she says, trying to sound strong in her convictions but her voice wavering. His eyes pierce her like a sword on a battlefield.

"Why not?" He asks lowly.

"B-because I'm in love with someone else."

"Who?" He growls.

That is when the fear hits her the worst. Chrom wouldn't hurt her, yes she is afraid of him, and he may seem aggressive, but she still stands with the confidence that he would not hurt her. He's almost like a loyal hound, feral against all else but to her?

Ricken is a different story entirely. The young mage had gotten strong over the year they trained together. Even if she wasn't there he'd still train every day, becoming a strong soldier in his own right. But Chrom is still the strongest by far, if he wanted Ricken gone he could have it done with the snap of his fingers.

Before today Chrom had of course been acting weird, Emmeryn's death affecting him greatly. But before today, Robin never saw him as someone bad, or having the capability to kill his own allies. But the way he said that one word, the way he asked her who it was, made her feel truly terrified. Her whole body tenses up, her tactician mind goes to work, thinking of a way out of the conversation.

"I… I lied. I'm just not ready to be married yet. It's just such a big step and I don't know..." She looks at him, hoping he takes the lie, hoping he backs off for her sake. Hoping he doesn't see the fear behind her eyes, or the real reason for that fear.

"You said you were willing to do anything for the army, right?" He asks and she gives a meek nod. "Well, this is for the army. Besides Robin… We have always gotten along. You would make a perfect wife." He whispers the last part as he leans in.

When he kisses her she represses the instinct to back away. His kiss is tentative at first, not something she was expecting, but quickly it becomes desperate, wanting her badly. It only takes a moment before she does back away, looking at him. He doesn't see this as a sign of her not wanting him though, only smiles at her.

"We shall be wed by next week, my darling. You will make a wonderful ruler…"

He kisses her forehead before leaving the tent. She releases the breath she had been holding and covers her mouth as soon as he is gone. She doesn't realize her body shaking until she almost falls into a nearby chair, feeling hot tears forming in her eyes.

All she can think about is Ricken. How much danger he will be in if she tells the truth, how unstable Chrom is, how unstable everything is at this very moment. It's the moment in battle when no one has attacked, but both armies know of the bloodshed that is to come. Chrom is unstable, his emotions over Emmeryn's death dictating everything he does, but Ricken won't be much better once he finds out what Chrom did.

She thinks that all she can do is marry him, no matter how much the thought saddens her. She thinks all she can do is lie to them both. It's what the proper tactician would do, figure out the way to save as much as she can. She knows it is her fear of Chrom dictating everything she does, but she can't help it.

There's something frightening in those blue eyes that was never there before.

"It's for the army," she whispers to herself and wipes her cheeks of the few tears that run down them. The words bring her no comfort though. So instead she closes her eyes. "It's for Ricken…"

 **Hey guys, if you're liking the story remember to leave a review! I love hearing from readers and it would be really cool just to get some feedback on it.**


	4. Chapter 4

It was three weeks after Chrom's "proposal" that Ricken returned to the army.

During that three weeks everything had changed. Robin had fought every step of the way to not get married, saying that it was too soon, they should hold off a bit, that they shouldn't be doing this just for political reasons. All her complaints fell on deaf ears though, Chrom had decided they were to be married and that was it.

He had become even more intimidating the week leading up to the wedding, and far more obsessive. Robin was never out of his sight, which made it impossible for her to discuss the terms of the wedding with anyone else. She wanted desperately to get time alone with anyone who might understand or be able to help her, but that only irritated Chrom more.

She knew she had to protect herself, and Ricken. Maybe Chrom was right, maybe it was what's best for the army.

She became complacent the night before the wedding, and stayed that way after.

Everyone in the army noticed the change in her. The once friendly tactician seemed cold, and distant, kept to herself most days. She could fake smiles for short periods of time, which was enough to fool some members of the army. Especially those who were close to Chrom. They saw the wedding as a good thing because it lifted his spirits. He seemed happy with his new wife, for the first time since Emmeryn's death he was happy again.

But those who kept their distance noticed Robin's drop in mood as opposed to Chrom's lift. It was Gaius, the candy obsessed ninja, who first found her crying at the edge of camp. He had always had a soft spot for the tactician, she kept his secret about his criminal past, never telling anyone even though in some places it would be considered a crime to withhold such information.

He took a few tentative steps towards her and then sat down. She noticed him but didn't even look over, wiping her cheeks. "Hey Bubbles. Are you alright?" He asked.

"No," she said quietly and looked at him. He frowns and wipes away her tears. "I- I don't want to be married to Chrom, Gaius. I hate this…"

"Well why did you marry him then?" He rubbed her back soothingly, confused by the situation but knowing she wouldn't just make a rash decision for nothing. There had to be a reason.

"I was afraid of what he would do if I didn't," she sighed hard. "I… Have been with Ricken for the past year almost."

He blinked a few times. He was one of the more observant people in camp, mostly because he liked to watch people more than he liked talking to them, but even he didn't realize Robin and Ricken were in a relationship. "Did Chrom know?"

"No," she said, "I told him I was in love with someone and… He got angry. He had a look in his eyes and… I was too afraid to tell him it was Ricken."

"Do you think he would have hurt him?" Gaius asked and she nodded. "Robin… This is a serious accusation. Are you sure? I mean… This is Chrom we're talking about. The Exalt."

"I know what I'm saying Gaius," she said quietly. "You didn't see him, how he was acting… You still don't see him. This is the first time I have been away from him since he proposed. He follows me everywhere, makes sure I don't talk to anyone."

"Robin, if you're feeling threatened then we need to annul this marriage and stop Chrom."

She shook her head furiously at that. "No, Gaius don't you dare do anything. Don't tell anyone what I have told you."

"What?" He frowned. "Robin I want to help."

"I know, but please just… Don't tell anyone. I am begging you," she said, once again shaking. Before what happened with Chrom Robin never would have shaken with fear at anything. She faced armies of trained soldiers who wanted to kill her but never wavered. But now with Chrom things were different, things were so much worse.

"Yeah…" He said and she covered her face, trying not to cry. "Hey, hey, stop crying… We can figure this out Robin. I promise I won't tell a soul."

That was last week, and Gaius still couldn't get the thought of her sadness out of his mind. He didn't tell anyone though, not even his own wife Cordellia. Every time he passed by her though he couldn't help but feel sorry. But he had to keep her secret, the same way she kept his.

That was the last time Robin showed her sadness to anyone. She walked by her husband's side and led the army with him. She would laugh, and smile, and pretend to be perfectly fine.

It was simple enough in public because Chrom was still somewhat of a conservative man. But when they were alone she struggled to play the perfect wife. He wasn't a harsh man, he was actually so delusional to think he had a proper marriage. He treated his wife with respect, which at least she appreciated. But every time he kissed her, touched her, she felt her skin crawl. But she didn't want to risk shattering the fragile bubble that was his fantasy marriage, because for the first time in months he was being a proper leader to his people.

She really was doing it for the army.

And it was beginning to get easy, until Ricken returned.

He had missed her the entire month he was away, and all he wanted was to come back and be with her properly. He hadn't heard the news of the marriage, traveling mainly alone and avoiding large cities for the most part. He spent some time with his family, making sure his mother was okay, but what was also important for him was getting his families ring, coming back to propose to Robin, the woman he loved.

The mood at camp actually seems light when he returns, no one seems as worried as when he first left. Before every battle everyone was worried because Chrom had sent them somewhere dangerous and they were anticipating death. After the battle they were reflecting on the soldiers that they had lost because of his recklessness.

The mood in camp matches his mood, and after dropping off his spot in where he'd usually set up his tent, he goes to find Robin.

The mage wanders around for a while before he sees her leaving the strategy tent. His smile is still wide until she sees her arm in Chrom's, holding his hand. He watches as Chrom looks at Robin, having the same adoring look he always had to her. Robin just glanced at Chrom, not returning his affectionate look but giving a light smile, then looks forward and stops dead in her tracks when she sees him.

Their eyes meet for the first time in one month. Hers are instant filled with sadness and regret, all she feels is shame. He looks confused at first, and then swallows. Already his mind going mad with the possibilities of what could have happened. What could have changed?

Chrom insists they walk over and she follows, not even hesitating as she gets to Ricken. "Chrom and I are married now," she says bluntly. As harsh as it sounds, she simply wants to keep him from blurting something out they would regret.

"What…?" He looks at them both, remembering the night before he left. How she kissed him, said she loved him. How they were going to be together, everything was going to be fine. "When did this happen?" He asks, but the thoughts keep running through his head. _Why is this happening?_

"Two weeks ago… Chrom proposed after you left," she says and glances at Chrom, then back at Ricken. "I wish you could have been there."

He wants to scream. Everything inside of him feels like it is in overdrive, his heart beating a mile a minute, his thoughts scrambling trying to figure out why she is with Chrom. But when he opens his mouth no words come out. He stares at Robin, the woman he loves, seeing the pain on her face. As he figures it must be pity. She was in love with Chrom this whole time, never loved him. His mouth feels dry. Everything feels wrong.

"Hey! There you are!" Ricken feels a slap on his back, but he's barely able to hear the voice of Gaius beside him. "It feels like months ago you said you'd teach me some of that magic crap you always do. Come on, no backing out of it this time."

Ricken can barely respond as Gaius forcefully pulls him away from the couple. Instead of leading him to the training area, he leads him to the outskirts of camp, where no one will see. Ricken shakes as every emotion bubbles to the surface. Anger, jealousy, hate, but what stands out most is the overwhelming sadness and confusion. Everything was so good, they were in love.

"Ricken, you're going to need to calm down," Ricken's eyes snap up to Gaius as he says this. Every emotion is still so clear, the wound so fresh. Gaius had seen people upset before, but this was different, almost comparable to Chrom's rage after Emmeryn died. It's the silence that bothers him most, like waiting for a volcano to erupt. "Ricken, Robin told me about you two. You need to stay calm right now."

"Stay calm?!" Ricken snaps, his body shaking. "I will not stay calm! Why is she with him?! What the hell happened, what changed? Why is this happening?"

Gaius takes a step back as a shock of electricity seems to come from Ricken. Perhaps the magic he has been holding back, coursing through him strong. "Ricken-"

"Why are they married? She doesn't even like Chrom! He makes her work like a dog for months because he can't get his act together enough to lead his country, making her exhausted every day and every night, and she marries him? What is it because he's Exalt? He's some strong man that she wants, some fantasy of a person that isn't even real? Because Chrom isn't a good man! Not good enough for her!"

Gaius stays silent, letting him rant, knowing he needs to get his anger out.

"She said she loved me!" He looks back at the camp. They're so far away no one could hear unless they were trying. "We were in love! I was barely gone for a month! She was everything to me!" He shouts, pulling the ring out of his pocket. It has his family crest engraved into it, their most precious heirloom. "I was going to ask her to marry me. Why is this happening?" He asks and then closes his fist around the ring. "Why is this happening!?" He snaps and then throws it. It lands in the sand not too far away.

"Ricken, you need to listen to me," Gaius says, trying to stay calm. He grabbed the shoulders of the younger mage, and through the anger he can see the pain he's in.

"She doesn't even look happy…" He says quietly, backing away from Gaius but seeming slightly less angry.

"That's because she isn't," Gaius leads him to a quieter area. Their camp is set up at the base of the cliff, and Gaius sits on one of the larger rocks, urging Ricken to sit beside him. He doesn't. "She told me… She's still in love with you. She married him because she was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Ricken asks quietly. Every other emotion seems completely gone, his face now written with complete concern for her.

"Afraid of Chrom," he says, "She promised me not to tell anyone but… I can't keep seeing her like this. She was afraid he would hurt you, that if she rejected him the army might get worse."

"She shouldn't have to get married out of fear," he says, calming down after hearing her feelings for him are still there. His jealousy and anger are gone, all replaced by his love for Robin.

"I know. She said she doesn't want help but she deserves to be happy." He sighs and shakes his head. "I don't know what I could do. All I know is that if you do say anything Ricken, Chrom could have you executed for treason. And Robin would kill me if she found out you did it because of me… And it would kill her if you're dead. So there would be too many bodies, okay?"

"If I kill Chrom-" Ricken starts but Gaius cuts him off.

"Don't you be talking like that, okay? I can't protect you from execution." Gaius stands up and looks at the shorter mage. "But she still loves you… Gotta find a way to fix this that doesn't end up in anyone dying."

Ricken nods as Gaius walks away. He thinks back to the night, to Robin saying how she loves him. Then he thinks about how afraid she must have been to accept a proposal from Chrom.

Then the anger returns, all of it directed at the blue haired Exalt that made his love afraid.


	5. Chapter 5

It was later that night, while drinking tea with Lissa, that it became obvious that there was something wrong with Robin again.

Robin considered Lissa to be one of the few good things that came out of marrying Chrom. The young princess embraced her like a sister right away, suggesting they have tea every evening to bond. It's one of the few things that got Robin through the first week of marriage because Lissa would listen to her. Of course, Robin wouldn't tell her the truth, but she would say how nervous she was for marriage, how the pressure stressed her beyond reasonable measure.

Lissa may not have known the truth, but it was always comforting to have someone who wanted her to be okay.

"Is there something the matter, Robin?" Lissa asks. Robin looks away from the tea she was staring into and nods wordlessly. "Because you know if there was anything wrong, I'm here to help. Right?"

"Yes, I know. Thank you," Robin says. She's barely paying attention to the girl though, her thoughts still fixed on Ricken. While he was away she could almost push him out of her thoughts, pretend as if he didn't exist. Seeing him brought that all crashing down. Seeing the pain in his eyes when he saw her with Chrom tore her up inside. She never wanted to hurt Ricken.

"Are you still stressed about your marriage?" Lissa asks.

Robin pauses for a moment. "Yes."

Lissa sighs. "I still don't understand why. You were doing well before. Did something happen today?"

"No," she lies. "It is just… Too complex to explain. Marriage is very complicated."

"Robin, in case you have forgotten I'm married too." Lissa says with a light smile. She and Maribelle had gotten married prior to Emmeryn's death. It was strange to some of the army, but no one questioned it too much. They seemed so happy together.

Robin envied them. Every time she saw them together she wanted that, a loving relationship that they had built over years. That was what she had with Ricken, it was the relationship she could have had if Chrom had not proposed.

"Your marriage is different, Lissa," she says, "You and Maribelle were in love for seasons before the wedding. You have known each other half your lives. My marriage… Seems more political than anything else."

It was the closest she could get to the truth without telling Lissa how she actually felt. Even then she knew that saying that could lead to complications. Staying silent felt exhausting though.

"I… I thought you and Chrom were in love," Lissa says. It's no wonder she felt that way. They played husband and wife well enough. Well, Robin did. For Chrom it was no act, he truly was happy with Robin. Proud to call himself her husband. He deluded himself into believing their marriage is based on love, that he didn't have to threaten Robin into marriage.

"I do love Chrom," Robin says. She has gotten good at telling that lie. "Sometimes I believe he does not love me. Our engagement was so quick, so sudden."

Lissa's face softens and she moves closer to her sister-in-law, taking her hand. "That's what this is all about? Don't doubt Chrom's love for you. I see him every day, he loves you dearly. Do you remember how sad he was before the marriage? You fixed him. He's a better leader because of you." She squeezes her hand. "He's a better man because of you."

Robin closes her eyes as she listens and nods, a tear still managing to break through. Is she selfish for wanting to be with Ricken? Being with Chrom really is better for everyone, and she said she was willing to do anything for Ylisse. Perhaps this is just her duty to the realm, to be the wife to the Exalt. It wasn't so bad over the past two weeks, it wasn't as if he abused her. Her marriage keeps the army together, gives them back the commander they so desperately need.

Perhaps the army needs the sacrifice of her love for Ricken, needs her to sacrifice her own happiness for their wellbeing.

"Don't cry Robin," Lissa wipes her tears and Robin laughs softly.

"Sorry Lissa, I guess I must be tired."

Lissa pulls Robin in to a tight hug which Robin gratefully accepts. It isn't until she hears a man clear his throat that she breaks apart and looks up.

Chrom looks at her and walks over, kneeling beside her chair. He looks concerned. "Are you alright my love?" He asks softly, taking both her hands. His hands are rough, calloused from wielding the sword for so many years. It's still a strange feeling to her.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just tired," she says and he wipes the last tear on her cheek.

"Well then we should get you to bed. I don't like seeing you cry." He rises and gets her to stand as well. He then looks to Lissa. "Goodnight my sister."

"Goodnight Chrom. And goodnight Robin, I hope you're feeling better in the morning." The girl gives a sweet smile before cleaning up from the tea.

Chrom walks Robin back to their tent. Once there he helps her take off her cloak. It still feels so strange to undress in front of him, she wonders if it will ever feel really normal. She undresses into her bedclothes and lays down in bed, he does the same.

Once in bed he wraps his arms around his wife. "Are you sure you're alright darling?" He whispers, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Yes, I'm just tired," she says and he pulls her closer. In weeks before she would ask for distance, but she really is too tired to argue now. It shouldn't matter who holds her anyway, his body keeps her warm just as Ricken's once did.

She thinks back to the mage and closes her eyes tight to keep from thinking about him.

"I love you Robin." He says quietly and kisses her softly and sweetly.

She almost wishes he was still the way he was before marriage. She wishes he was cold, and distant, and harsh. Then she might have a reason to recoil at his touch, have her stomach turn at the phrase "I love you" every night. She might have a reason to be unhappy.

"I love you too," she says and kisses him back before resting in his arms.

Oh how she wished those words were true.


	6. Chapter 6

Ricken watched out for Robin every day the following week, waiting for a moment where she didn't have Chrom, or Lissa by her side. It was as if the two were guarding her. If it wasn't one of them, then she was out somewhere far too public for him to go over and talk to her about such private matters. If anyone overheard, reported it to Chrom, he could be executed for treason.

It's after a battle when he first sees his chance. Chrom gives her a quick kiss on the lips before going to check on one of the other commanders. She smiles back at him but her smile falls as soon as he walks away.

The younger mage takes his chance and walks over to the tactician. "Robin, can I discuss something with you? Privately?"

She turns to him and her eyes brighten. She nods quickly and he leads her away from the army. They're in a port town, it clearly affected by the battle that has just taken place with some buildings crumbled. The townspeople fled early on, as many that could anyway. He takes her into an ally way, checking to make sure no one can see. There are pieces of debris blocking the view to the main road.

As soon as they are out of right she looks at him. "Ricken, I-"

"Gaius told me everything," he assures her and pulls him into a tight hug. Even though the mage is smaller, and much weaker than Chrom, she feels safer in his arms than her husbands.

She hugs him back just as tight. "I never would have married him if I thought I had a choice. I meant it when I said I love you Ricken."

"I know," he says and breaks the hug, stroking her cheek. "Robin… You have a choice. You can leave him, I'll protect you. You can do what you want."

She pauses and bites her lip. Of course she can do what she wants, it has never been about anything that she wants. She never wanted to marry Chrom, she had to in order to protect herself and Ricken. She didn't want to stay married, she had to for the good of the army. In the time of war, the wants of one woman doesn't outweigh the needs of everyone else.

"Ricken… I'm doing this to help the army," she says and looks at him. "It's my duty."

"Your duty?" He asks. "Your duty goes as far as the war effort. You risk your life daily for the army, that is your duty. You work day in day out coming up with battle strategies, that is your duty. Throwing away your life on a marriage you don't want?" He whispers. "That isn't something that should be asked of you."

"This army has been stronger since this marriage happened," she says and sighs, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Please understand that this is what is best."

He jerks away from her. "What's best? Don't treat me like a child Robin! You are the love of my life and I refuse that your misery could ever be "what's best". I won't allow it."

She looks away, up to the sky. It's grey, filled with clouds. "Ricken please don't make this harder than it has to be!"

"It's already impossible to live like this," he says and swallows. "Seeing you with him every day, holding his hand, wearing his ring… I could handle all that except you aren't happy. I barely see you smile, haven't heard your laugh in a month. I wanted to come back to you, to make you happy for the rest of your life, but instead I come back and you're miserable. Accepting this misery because you think it's what best."

She closes her eyes. "Ricken, you must understand… I can't leave him."

"And you must understand that I can't leave you." He whispers.

She turns away to try hide her tears but he turns her head so their eyes meet. He wipes the tear away and leans in, kissing her very softly. It's the warm, loving kiss she has missed for the past month, and for once she doesn't pull away. She pulls him close and lets the kiss linger for a minute, forgetting the rest of the world. Forgetting that getting caught means possible death.

In that moment nothing else matters but her and Ricken.

Sadly the rest of the world does exist, and he has the sense to pull away, going as far as to take a step back. Neither are blushing. "I love you Robin."

"I love you too Ricken," she says and thinks back to her husband. She had gotten complacent with her life with Chrom. The lower you set the bar the more normal sadness feels.

But still she thinks of the army, and what could possibly happen if she left Chrom. He truly loves her as far as she can tell, losing her could send him back to where he was after Emmeryn's death, or even worse. At least after Emmeryn's death he would still listen to Robin, but he wouldn't even do that if she left him. He would be left leading the army alone.

"Ricken, I cannot leave him," she says. Before he can talk she cuts him off. "This army could lose people with an unstable Chrom leading them. I can't risk lives for my own selfish happiness."

"It isn't selfish…" He sighs. "Fine, if you won't leave him, at least allow me to try make you happy however I can. I still love you, you still love me… The only thing that has changed is you were forced into a political marriage. That's not such a big thing," he jokes and smiles weakly.

She laughs lightly. "Ricken…"

"I'm serious about making you happy Robin. I don't know if I can sit back and watch you be so sad all the time. I'll go crazy."

"What do you suggest I do? Cheat on my husband?" She asks.

Now he blushes. "That's not what I'm asking of you specifically, but if that is what would lead to your happiness then yes. You should. I think your sense of duty is skewed, however… If I understand it correctly then your duty is to this army. Not to Chrom. This marriage is political. As long as you stay married to Chrom, lead Ylisse by his side, then you are fulfilling your duty. The rest of your life belongs to you."

She sighs. "Being unfaithful though…"

"Kings have done it for centuries," he says. "I'm not even asking that of you Robin. I'm just asking for you to be happy."

"You could die," she says.

He nods. "I'm willing to risk my life for your happiness."

She nods and then leans down, kissing him again. She can't help herself, it's as if she has been craving him for a month and now she finally has access. She has had only Chrom's lips on her own since he left and it made her feel dirty. She should only be kissing Ricken, she should only be with him, her only love. Nothing else felt right.

"We will figure this out my love," she promises him, and gives a small smile.

As small as it may be though, it's the first genuine smile she has had in a month.


	7. Chapter 7

Ricken kept true on his promise to keep Robin happy, as well as he could.

Leading a secret life behind the back of the Exalt was no easy task though, although Robin came up with ways to make it easier. She asked Chrom if she could continue her training as a mage under Ricken. Since he was the strongest mage that didn't rely on dark magic, he gladly said she could do it. Ricken's younger appearance helped in some aspects, Chrom didn't see him as a threat to Robin's heart.

Ricken felt no guilt about going behind Chrom's back. At one point he considered Chrom a brother to him, but after what he did to Robin he couldn't see him that way again. Forcing a girl into marriage wasn't the Chrom he knew and respected.

Robin on the other hand was not so lucky to escape the guilt, but strangely she didn't feel it when she was with Ricken. When she was with him, whether it be training, talking, being intimate, she felt completely safe. It was the life she truly wanted. When she was with Chrom is when she felt wrong. Yes, he is her husband, but every time he would kiss her she felt as though she was betraying Ricken. Every time he took her to bed she felt even worse.

Ricken hated seeing her go through what she had to endure. Every time she opened up about it he would ensure her that he didn't blame her at all, and told her that it was her duty to the army. It made him sick to say it though. He never believed that she should give her body, her life to the army in that way. But it was a way to make her feel better, so he would say it anyway. The words were little comfort, but she would take them none the less.

Leading the double life was stressful, but also marked a change in Robin. She was happier, much more than before. She laughed again, smiled, acted as she had before the marriage had taken place. No one questioned it, all just assumed she really was stressed at first and now she was unburdened. Not even Gaius was sure of the truth exactly, Robin and Ricken were very careful.

Robin takes a step back from Ricken and smiles at him. Another season has passed since Ricken had returned, and they kept their secret romance going that entire time. Now they're in the weapons tent together, being in there for some time now. "Your blush is back," she teases with a small smirk, kissing him quickly. She had a small secret of her own, but she knew how to hide it. Besides, it was one of the few times she could be alone with Ricken. Secret or not, she was going to enjoy the time.

"I can't help it," he says, "When I'm with you I can't stop myself from blushing." He takes her hands and presses his lips to her soft skin, looking up at her. "Run away with me Robin."

She sighs, not wanting to pull her hands back from his. "Ricken you know I can't…"

"I know, but it was worth a try at least." He smiles lightly but she can see through it.

"What's wrong my love?" She asks quietly.

"I… Want a real life with you Robin," he says and swallows. "I want to be able to marry you, have a family with you. Not have to run behind some other mans back just to be with you."

"I know," she sighs, "We will find a way eventually Ricken. But now is not the time."

Not wanting to risk hurting her, Ricken simply nods. "Alright. I will see you again tomorrow," he says with a soft smile. She kisses him deeply but quickly jumps away when they hear footsteps just outside.

Just in time too as Cordellia walks in. She smiles. "Hey," she says casually, unaware of what had been taking place just seconds before.

"Hello," Ricken says and keeps his head down as he leaves. Cordellia raises an eyebrow and looks at Robin.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing," she says and looks at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything, my grace," she says politely and Robin sighs.

"Please don't call me that. I'm a soldier, just as you are," she says. "This question though… You must not tell anyone I asked it. Please."

Cordellia pauses and turns to Robin, nodding. "Alright. Is there something wrong?"

She sighs. "How… Does a lady tell whether or not she is pregnant?"

It was a question she had been wondering for the past week. She knew some of the signs, and she knew she was showing those signs. However, she had to be sure. She had been worrying all week, refusing to let it show though. If Ricken found out, he would urge her even more to leave with him. If Chrom found out, then she would be even more tied to him than before. He would become protective, probably put her in a castle during her pregnancy.

If she was going to make her life ten times more difficult, she wanted to be sure.

Cordellia pauses and then nods. "Right. Prehaps talk to Lissa? Sometimes some herbs can be used to determine… If you are pregnant or not," she says and looks at the other woman who bites her lip and nods. "Are you alright, Robin?" She asks again.

Robin's mind snaps back to reality and she nods. "Yes, just… Nervous I suppose. I will go to Lissa right away. Thank you Cordellia."

She hurries out of the tent and towards Lissa's. It's not just finding out about the pregnancy that will cause problems, it's the baby. If it's Chrom's then again, her bind to Chrom grows even tighter. They will have a family. It's no longer duty to the army, it's duty to her family. If the baby is Ricken's…

She doesn't even want to think about the possibility of it being his.

Robin enters her and Chrom's shared tent later that evening. He looks up and smiles at her sweetly. "Hello my queen," he says softly as she sits beside him. Every emotion is stirring inside of her, but most of all she feels fear. Hiding the truth won't help though, that's all she knows.

"Chrom." She takes his hand and prays he doesn't notice the fear in her voice. Prays he doesn't notice the sadness. "I'm pregnant."

 **Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Again guys, reviews are amazing, so if you want to leave a review then please do, it would make writing this enjoyable knowing that other people are liking it (I already enjoy it but still) so just…. Yeah, if you guys want to then that would be good. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

Robin stopped going to battle once the news of her pregnancy spread. And Chrom made sure it spread like wildfire.

He was overjoyed to have an heir, daughter or son he didn't care. For him it was simply the fact that he was having a child with Robin. There was no greater joy to him, and it almost made everything harder on her. He was acting kindly towards her, being cautious. None of it lifted her fear of him, it only made her tread lighter. If his bubble of delusion were to pop, no one could say how badly it would end.

For her, it wasn't just the thought of having Chrom's child that terrified her, it was the thought of having Ricken's. The two men could not be more different. Chrom's hair is blue as opposed to Ricken's auburn. Chrom is tall, muscular and strong as opposed to the short, skinny Ricken. Chrom is a warrior, Ricken is a mage.

If the child was Ricken's, and anyone found out, Ricken could be hung, and she would be left for dead on her own with a bastard baby.

The same fear plagued Ricken of people finding out about him and Robin, but what scared him most was not being able to help Robin and their child. If anyone found out he would die, and he couldn't help them from the grave. Even if they didn't, Chrom would raise his child as his own. He would barely get contact with the baby without making it suspicious.

When Robin began to show as pregnant, Chrom sent her back to the castle to spend the time during her pregnancy. She hated that most of all. Everything she was doing was for the army and now she couldn't even look over them. As she grew bigger with each passing month, she appreciated not having to sleep in a tent, and not having to sleep next to Chrom. He visited when he could.

She's eight months pregnant when the army comes to the castle. They come for a well earned rest inside the castle walls which makes Robin all the more excited. She sees it as more people to talk to that aren't just the maids Chrom had left for her. More importantly, Ricken would be in the group that's visiting.

Chrom comes to visit first though. Their room in the castle is quite lavish, fit for a queen. She never would've imagined that she would be living somewhere like that when she was found in the woods. There are beautiful silks on the bed and hung up as curtains, a fireplace that is almost always going to keep the room from getting too cold. She sits up in bed and smiles softly when he walks in. At this point, any company is good company. As nice as the room is, it's almost always empty. The loneliness felt like her worst battle.

"Hello Chrom," she says as he sits next to her in bed. "Your child must be excited to see you. Started kicking as soon as you walked in."

He smiles. "May I feel?" He asks and she nods. He places his hand on her belly and feels the soft movement of their child. "They seem quite active. Have you gotten proper rest?"

She nods. "Yes, don't worry about us. How has the army been doing?"

"They have been fine," Chrom says and smiles when the baby kicks again. "We are closing in on the Plegians. I feel like the war may be coming to the end."

"Really?" She asks. "What would happen to the Shepherd's then?"

"They would go back to the ordinary duties. Protecting Ylisse," he says and then kisses her sweetly. "Speaking of the Shepherds, some of them wanted to speak with you. The army misses you dearly, them most of all."

Robin nods. "Alright, I would like to see them too. You don't know how maddening it can get in this castle alone," she says and sits up properly in bed.

First to visit is Lissa, and right away Robin gets nervous. Not that Lissa is visiting, that is of course normal, but the fact that Chrom is still in the room. He's sitting in the corner, reading books on battle strategy. She won't get her moment alone with Ricken. Still, she's determined to enjoy the company as much as she can.

"You look so beautiful Robin!" Lissa praises her and Robin smiles.

"Thank you Lissa," she says. "The baby is still moving; would you like to feel it?"

Chrom doesn't react and Lissa feels the baby. They talk a little longer. The next in is Gaius, who reluctantly parts with some of his sweets to Robin. She glances at Chrom for a second before looking at Gaius. "The baby is moving, want to feel it? Talk to them a little?"

Chrom looks up at that. It was normal enough when she was asking her sister in law to feel, but one of the Shepherds? One of the male Shepherds? "Robin, what are you doing?"

Luckily, she had already thought of an excuse. A tactician always thinks two steps ahead. In this case four, she had her reasons for making everyone interact with the baby. "I think it's important for the baby to be socialized. Don't worry, it's just my belly."

Chrom nods slowly and then goes back to reading, still finding it strange. Gaius raises an eyebrow at her and then nods, touching her baby bump ever so lightly. "Hey champ… Good luck in there?" He says awkwardly, having no idea how to talk to a baby who's still in the womb.

Maribelle, Sully, Gregor and Nowi at the same time, and Frederick all come to see her as well. They all react with the similar confusion about the offer to touch the baby, except Nowi of course who is thrilled and talks to the baby about how much they'll play together. Frederick was the only one to decline all together. Chrom still watches from the corner, but with every person he grows less and less suspicious, eventually just getting back to his book.

Then Ricken enters the room. He and Robin can both feel the instant relief when they see each other safe, it having been five months since they had seen each other last. Robin worried every day that he would get hurt, even though she knew he was more than capable as a mage. He resists the urge to run over and hug her, seeing Chrom in the corner. He instead walks over and kneels beside her bed, taking her hand.

"I'm glad to see you're well, My Grace," he says and kisses her hand softly. It's the only kiss he can get away with with Chrom in the room.

"Thank you Ricken, I'm glad you're alright too," she says and bites her lip, wanting desperately to touch him. But she looks back at Chrom in the corner, and holds back. "Would you like to sit for a few minutes? I've always enjoyed your company."

He sits in the chair beside her bed and they catch up, keeping things as casual as possible. He tells her about the war, the battles they have won. She wants to tell him about the castle, how boring it has been how much she has missed him, but again she holds back, only saying in passing how boring it has been by herself.

"Would you like to talk to the baby?" She asks and Ricken freezes, but then relaxes slightly when Chrom barely reacts.

He reaches out and touches the baby bump, knowing full well that the baby inside could be his instead of Chroms. "Hey," he says calmly, "Just so you know the entire army is excited to meet you. We're all going to be here to protect you," he says and then looks at Robin.

"You're going to teach them magic, right Ricken?" Ricken nearly jumps out of his skin when Chrom walks over. He doesn't seem angry though. "As the best mage in the army, our child deserves the best teacher. You did well enough with Robin."

Ricken nods and pulls his hand away, not before the baby gives a small kick. "If you want me to then it would be my honor to teach your child magic."

"Good," Chrom smiles and Robin glances at Ricken. Ricken can barely contain the rage at Chrom, hating him for making her marry him. But he does hold back.

"Your Grace, I will see you later," Ricken says and bows his head before leaving the room. Robin feels the room get darker when he's gone, even with her "loving husband" still beside her.

Several more people visit before they decide to call it a day. Chrom gets into bed beside Robin and smiles. "I'll be staying at the castle with you until the baby is born."

"You don't have to do that," she says and he shakes his head.

"I do… You said you've been lonely by yourself," he says and kisses her cheek sweetly. "What kind of husband would I be if I let that continue?"

She pauses and smiles, kissing him lightly and then laying next to him, letting him wrap his arms around her. It may just be a sense of becoming complacent to the marriage, but being married to Chrom isn't the worst thing in the world. And if the baby is his… She will probably just have to adapt to being just his wife anyway.

Ricken deserves the chance to move on, it's selfish not to let him. Things with Chrom are concrete now, they aren't going to change. Maybe she needs to move on with her life, and he needs to move on with his.


	9. Chapter 9

When baby Lucina was born the entire kingdom praised her arrival.

She was small at birth with blue eyes and blue hair, which made Robin breathe a sigh of relief. She was Chrom's baby, no denying it. She was surrounded by love the moment she entered the world, and brought love with her.

Robin smiled every day when she went to pick up her precious baby. Even being with Chrom was easier with her around. He was actually quite the doting father, offering to take care of her when she cried in the night. Robin would sometimes get up too and watch the two together. Chrom was so good with her, always managed to get her back to sleep. Then they'd go back to bed together and she'd snuggle close to him, falling asleep in his arms.

She figured it was her life now, and it was one she could get used to. Baby Lucina brought her the love and happiness she needed, just seeing her face filled her heart with joy. Chrom was easier to live with too, she no longer felt the same fear she felt before. She actually found herself smiling when he'd come into the room, found herself talking to him more, kissing him more, touching him more.

All of that was almost enough to make her forget about Ricken's absence.

He barely got to see Robin, if at all. She was always locked away in the castle with her baby and her husband. He was happy she was happy with Lucina, the few times he had seen the baby she was beautiful like her mother. He still couldn't get over Chrom though.

They barely saw each other. The army marched forward towards Plegia and he was with them. His frustration culminated in aggression, and everyone noticed the mage get more brutal in battle. Each strike of thunder was deliberate, a shock big enough to kill. Even after the battles he would still be quite frustrated, and no one understood why.

Everything changed for both of them one day after Robin put Lucina down for her nap, now four months old. She leaves her room and is faced with Chrom.

"My love…" He said and then paused. "We must discuss Lucina's future."

"Her future?" Robin asked and walked across the room. "She's still a baby, what could we have to discuss?"

"Us leaving her at the castle," he said bluntly.

She turned back to him. "Leave Lucina? Why would we do that?"

He sighed and walked over to her, taking her hands. "The army needs us. I'm the Exalt and you're the best tactician. You know we can't stay here forever…"

She dropped his hands. "She's our daughter, Chrom."

"She's a baby, she'll barely notice we're gone," he said and she turned away and shook her head, trying not to believe what she heard. "Lissa and I had wet nurses growing up, and Lucina will have the same. She will be fine Robin."

She glared at him, and then walked away before he could see the sadness in her eyes.

They left that week.

Robin got back into normal routine with the army, although she missed her daughter dearly. After one battle though it was clear she really was needed, which soothed the pain a little bit. They were building a better future for Lucina, fighting the war so she wouldn't have to. Still, the resentment towards Chrom was back, but this time he could feel it.

After a battle, Robin walks through camp by herself, going to put her sword away. It's stained with blood. She gets to the weapons tent to wipe it off but stops when she sees who's inside.

Ricken.

He looks up and smiles lightly. "Robin…" He says and walks right over to her, hugging her. She hugs him back but not with the same enthusiasm as the mage. He looks at her. "What's wrong?"

She sighs. "My heart is back in a castle hundreds of miles from here," she says and goes to wipe off her sword. "I don't want to be here."

He feels a twitch of anger, not at her but at Chrom again. She was happy with Lucina. "He won't let you go back?"

"I'm doing my duty for the army. And as you know, I've done worse for them," she swallows. "I miss her so much."

He sighs. "Well of course you would. She's your daughter… She's going to be alright."

"I know that!" She snaps and then throws her blade down to the dirt. "I know she's going to be fine but I want to be there for her!"

He takes a step back and nods. "I'm sorry Robin…"

She shakes her head and sighs, picking the sword up. "Don't be. I'm just… I don't know what I am."

"Sad. And it's understandable." He says and walks over to her, taking her hands in his. "Is there any way I can help you? I hate to see you upset…"

"No," she says and pulls her hands away. "I'm married, Ricken."

He pauses. "You were married before."

"I have a child now!"

"A child he took away!" Ricken snaps back. "Run away with me Robin! You and Lucina, I can keep you safe!"

"Ricken I can't do this again," she groans. "We will be killed! I'll be taken away from my baby for good! I can't risk any of that anymore!"

"But you can risk being with a horrible tyrant who keeps you from your child? He knows it makes you miserable and yet he does it anyway!"

"I am doing my duty-"

"Fuck your duty!"

The two glare at each other, but it's clear the frustration has simply built up against Chrom for him. He isn't angry at her, he's angry at everything surrounding her.

"You don't understand how much I want everything to be that simple Ricken. I wish I could take Lucina, run with you, but I will not risk my child for this. I love her too much." Robin says quietly.

He sighs. "And I would never want you to risk her…"

She walks over to him. "I love you Ricken. You're the only person who seems to care for me most times…"

She leans down and kisses him slowly, taking no precaution to avoid being caught. She pulls him close to her and he wraps his arms around her as he kisses back. It's the first time in months he's felt her lips on his, felt their skin touch. She feels the tears that roll down her cheeks and continues to kiss her to give her the idle comfort. It may be the last time they kiss for a time, perhaps for the rest of time.

But the moment can't last. "What are you two doing?!"

The pair breaks apart and spins around to see Lissa standing at the entrance to the weapons tent, her eyes wide, and her healing rod having dropped to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

Robin wastes no time pulling Lissa into the tent with them as Ricken quickly looks outside to see if anyone else heard. The young princess shakes as she looks at Robin as if she's afraid, Robin can feel the fear. She's still holding her arm.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Lissa asks quietly and Robin's eyes widen.

"What? No! Of course not!" Robin groans and looks back to her.

Lissa seems to visibly relax, and instead frowns. "What were you doing Robin? You're married!"

"Can you get her to be quiet?" Ricken growls to Robin, still at the entrance to the tent making no one else comes in.

"Lissa, please listen to me," Robin starts and Lissa pulls away.

"What do I need to listen to? How long has this been going on?"

Robin and Ricken exchange glances with each other. Her heart beats out her chest, but his feels like it stopped dead when Lissa walked in. Both nearly paralyzed by fear. She's tempted to tell him just to run and never look back. It would probably be safer that way. Robin takes in a deep breath. "Lissa… Ricken and I have been together for about two years now?"

"Two years?!" The little princess squeaks and Ricken shoots a glare at her, needing her to be quiet. "But… You haven't even been married for two years!"

"Lissa, if you'll let me explain-"

"Why did you marry my brother if you were with Ricken?"

"Because your awful brother forced her to do it!" Ricken snaps and Robin glares at him now as if to tell him she can handle it. He ignores it. "She didn't want to, he's crazy."

Lissa looks at him for a few moments. "My brother is not crazy. He is your Exalt."

"Yeah? Well shows how much you know then," Ricken says, not used to talking to royalty in such a way. Robin shakes her head.

"Can you two stop it?" She crosses the tent, closing her eyes to think. The more Ricken argued the more volatile Lissa would become, the more likely she would be to tell Chrom. She thinks what would happen if she did. Ricken would get hung, she would be punished. She would have Lucina taken away.

"Lissa I will explain everything but I am begging you not to tell Chrom," Robin says and walks back to her, taking her hands and getting on her knees in front of her. "Please Lissa, he will take my baby away, he will kill Ricken. You can't tell anyone, please Lissa."

Lissa's face softens and she bites her lip. They hear troops heading to the tent and she sighs. "I won't tell anyone yet… But you're coming with me and you are going to explain this. Both of you." She says and glances at Ricken.

"Alright, fine," Robin says and gets up.

Lissa leads them both away from camp. Thankfully, they don't run into Chrom because Robin has no idea how they would even explain why the three of them are together. Once they're away from everyone else Lissa crosses her arms and turns to them. "So explain to me why you are kissing a man other than your husband, my brother."

Over the years Lissa had become quite mature, in her own way. Although she still had the same fun loving friendly attitude a lot of the times, it was times like these that her more serious mature side showed. She had a temper, she could get mad, and most of all she could be protective to a fault of her brother. Even when he was making bad decisions for the army she stood by his side. He was the only family she had left, and she was damn well going to protect him.

That was just going to make it so much harder to explain everything to her.

Robin sighs. "Do you remember back when Emmeryn died? The way Chrom was acting?"

"Our sister was murdered," she says bluntly.

"I know… But you have to see that everything he was doing was bad for the army," Robin tells her. "He was making careless decisions, sending troops into battle they had no business fighting in. He was cold, never smiled… He wasn't the same anymore."

"And back then, Robin and I were already together," Ricken says, seemingly calmer than in the tent. He's still clearly nervous, knowing the possible ramifications of anyone finding out about them. "We fell in love."

Lissa stays silent, just listening to them both.

"There was that month when Ricken went away. Chrom came to me, he proposed… And I was afraid. I was afraid if I rejected him he would get angry. And then if he found out I was with Ricken he would kill him just to get me with him. I didn't know anything; he wasn't the same Chrom I knew. He was just some angry stranger… So I said yes."

Lissa sighs and looks at Ricken. "Chrom would never hurt you, you should know that. He has always thought of you as a brother…"

"The Chrom I knew wouldn't do that. But the Chrom I knew also wouldn't scare a girl into marrying him. Besides, I wasn't there to stop her," he says.

Robin nods. "I just got deeper and deeper into the marriage. He was a better leader, better for the army. I couldn't leave him, he'd just lose control and be back where he was after Emmeryn's death, or worse. But… I was still in love with Ricken."

Ricken glances at her, wishing he could go comfort her, just squeeze her hand. But he got the feeling touching her wouldn't be the best at this point, so he keeps his distance.

Instead, he looks at Lissa. "I know this seems like a terrible thing for us to do, and you probably hate us both for doing it against Chrom, but you have to understand that we are truly in love. She's staying with Chrom because… He's unstable. If anything goes wrong he could take it out on her, or me, or the army, and all of Ylisse would suffer."

"I'm married to him to protect everyone," Robin says and sighs. "I know it was bad to continue to be with Ricken even after marriage, but… If someone told you you couldn't be with Maribelle, would you be able to stay away from her?"

The thought of her wife flashes into her mind and she shakes her head somewhat reluctantly. "No… You two really are in love?"

"Yes." They both say in unison.

Ricken sighs. "Look Lissa, please don't tell Chrom. He'll become unstable… If you want to see me be punished then punish me. Fabricate another crime and punish me that way, I won't fight. But if you tell Chrom about us he'll never let her see Lucina again."

Lissa nods slowly. "I won't tell anyone… Ricken please leave me alone with Robin."

Ricken nods and looks at Robin again, brushing his hand against hers as he leaves the area and heads back to camp. Robin looks at the blonde girl tentatively, still only thinking about her baby back home. She wishes she was with her right now instead of the mess she's in.

"I didn't know everything was so terrible for you," Lissa says quietly.

Robin bites her lip. "It isn't all terrible… I love Lucina with all my heart even though she's his. And having you as my sister," she smiles softly, "You have helped to make things easier."

The younger girl takes little comfort in that and walks over to the tactician. "Chrom… He's still my brother. I can't believe he would do anything like this…"

Robin sighs and lifts the girls chin so she's looking up at her. "He's… not abusive. He has treated me with kindness and respect… I just think things have changed. With Emmeryn's death he changed. I know you love him dearly, but I still don't want to be married with him. My life with him isn't the worst, but it's not what I want. That's why I continued my relationship with Ricken even after marriage. He's who I love."

Lissa nods. "I won't tell anyone Robin… But we need to try and reason with Chrom," she starts, cutting her off before she can argue, "Not in a way that will get anyone hurt. My brother is still in there somewhere. And you don't deserve to live a life unhappy with him. And he deserves a life that's real."

Robin sighs and nods. "Yes, I understand. We can try think of a way to handle him…"

Lissa nods and walks away. There's still a sadness in her face as all she can think about is her brother. When did he fall so much? Slip into this delusional state? She didn't even notice the change, just thought he was fine. She thought he had moved on from Emmeryn's death.

She was almost happier blissfully ignorant to what her brother was doing.

Robin just closed her eyes and whispered thanks to the gods for her not telling Chrom. It did lead her to one realization though. All she could think about within that time was Lucina, getting her baby taken away forever. The thoughts of Ricken getting hurt were there, but the thoughts of her baby overpowered everything.

She came to the conclusion. She couldn't continue her affair with the mage, as much as she loved him.

She loved Lucina that much more.


	11. Chapter 11

After that day Robin started to avoid Ricken, and he took the hint quickly that she thought it was best they be apart.

They stopped training together, and stopped fighting side by side in battle. Robin still wanted to watch over him but everything felt so dangerous. He would still try look out for her, but it was difficult with her constantly assuring that they wouldn't be paired up together in battles. He understood why she was doing it. She couldn't risk losing Lucina. As it was she only saw her daughter every couple of months, and that distance was still unbearable for her.

So Ricken didn't fight it. He figured it would be temporary. She still loved him, he still loved her. They would find a way to be together again.

But as seasons dragged on he ached to see her again, spend time with her. Every time he would pass her in camp he just wanted to talk, but she kept her head down, avoided looking at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes the few times she did look at him, it crushed him.

The only way she could get through it was through Lucina. The few times she saw her little baby it brought enough joy to get her through the next stretch. She started to grow fast, laughing and smiling before they knew it. Robin was glad she was there to see it, she didn't miss all those moments.

If she was with Ricken there was a chance she would have. She still loved him dearly, her first and only love, but Lucina was more important than that. So as much as it pained her, she didn't look at him. Didn't talk to him. She didn't touch him and made sure they were never alone together.

It was nearly a year later when they got the chance to be alone again.

Chrom announced he would be going on a scouting mission with Lon'qu, Gregor, Lissa and Cordellia. It wasn't particularly dangerous, so only the five were needed. Lissa had offered to come along, her trying to talk to Chrom recently, getting him to open up about Emmeryn's death. Figuring if he processed it he might get better. Of course, it hadn't worked at all.

They'd be gone for three days.

They left the camp in the afternoon, and that evening was quite quiet for the army. Robin gave her commands for the army to rest for the next couple days ahead of them. The chance of there being an invasion of camp slim, but wanting them ready. The rest of the soldiers did just that. The camp was quiet for once, peaceful.

No one noticed Robin sneak off to Ricken's tent in the middle of the night. She made sure she wasn't seen. He sat up in surprise when she entered the tent.

"Robin, what are you doing here?" He whispered.

"Chrom's gone," she said and closed his tent, sitting with him and then kissing him desperately. They were apart for an entire year so she cherished his touch. She broke their kiss only to look at him. "Ricken I love you. I have missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," he said and pulled her back close to him, kissing her with the same messy passion she had for him.

It was the first night in years they had the chance to sleep in each others arms.

It made everything so much harder.

She wakes up beside him and sighs contently, snuggling closer to him. She doesn't know what it is about the mage that makes her feel so safe with him, but it's still true. He wakes up soon after, she can tell by him pulling her closer, kissing her head.

"Good morning my love…" He murmurs into her hair.

"Good morning," she says and sits up, smiling at him weakly and kissing him. It's clear to him something's wrong though, and he sits up as well, looking at her. She gets dressed from the night before and he does the same. After, she just sighs and kisses him again, but this time he can feel the tears staining her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" He asks and she swallows. "Robin?"

"I… I love you Ricken," she says and closes her eyes. "I love you so much it hurts. This hurts so much."

He can see it coming from a mile away but he still doesn't want to move. She cries beside him and he pulls her into a tight embrace, knowing what she's about to do. It already feels like a knife to the heart and she hasn't even gotten the words out yet. He keeps telling himself that she won't, that this won't happen, but deep down he knows it's a lie. He knows what she is going to do, he knows that everything is going to hurt soon.

For once he isn't just thinking of her pain though. As selfish as it may seem, he doesn't want to let her go.

"Robin, please don't do this," he whispers as he strokes her hair. "We can figure this out please… I love you so much."

"I love you too but…" She tries to keep composed, trying not to make this about her. Knowing this is going to hurt him just as much. Wanting to protect him but knowing she can't. "I can't do this anymore. You know I can't do this anymore."

"Robin please you can't just live with him," he says and swallows back his own tears. "You can't do this please don't leave me."

"You need to move on Ricken," she says and breaks out of his arms. "You need the chance to live a proper life."

"I don't want that! I want you! Robin I know you love me! You keep telling me you do!" He says and she closes her eyes and turns her head. "I will never move on from you. I will love you until the day I die."

"Don't say that," she says quietly, "I need to know you'll be okay."

"I can't stop loving you, and I refuse to lie to you," he says, his voice shaking. "I don't want you to live a life where you're not happy. With a man who drags you away from your child, who forces you to marry him."

"She is my life Ricken," she says and looks at him. "I love you, I will always love you, but Lucina is my heart. Losing you feels like I'm dying, but losing Lucina would kill me. I don't know how I'd survive that…"

He closes his eyes and nods, remembering the past few years with her. Knowing he has never felt this way about anyone, and will never feel this way about anyone again.

But he's hurting her. And he knows it. It's killing him to lose her… But he would rather have a lifetime of pain then prolonging her suffering.

He reaches out and wipes her tears from her cheeks, feeling his own tears falling down his. "D-don't cry Robin. I'm sorry… I still love you, a-and I'll always be here for you. But… Don't cry because of this. Because of me… You'll be okay. You and Lucina, you'll be okay."

She wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him tightly. He's glad she did so she can't see him cry, the obvious pain written on his face.

"I love you so much Ricken," she whispers.

"I love you too Robin. I always will."

She breaks their hug and kisses him one last time. Unlike last night though, this one is soft, sad. She stops and then looks at him one last time before turning and leaving the tent, covering her mouth to keep from sobbing in the middle of camp.

Ricken didn't have such worries though, and breaks down right where she left him.


	12. Chapter 12

After that night Robin thought everything with Ricken was finished. Maybe she would find him in another life, they would be happy there, but they couldn't be together. Not when she was married, when she had her little girl to worry about.

Although things can't be that simple all the time. It was two months later when she found out she was pregnant, again. She thought that it couldn't be Ricken's. They had only slept together once, that one last night. It was the only real contact they had for that entire year. But… It wasn't as if she had been with Chrom very much either. But it was still more than she had Ricken.

Chrom didn't question the pregnancy at all, just made her go through the same thing as the first one. Sent her away as soon as she started showing to live the lonely life in the castle. This time it wasn't nearly as bad. She had baby Lucina with her. She wasn't old enough to understand anything that was happening, she didn't know she was getting a little sibling, but Robin loved having her baby back in her arms.

It was almost enough to make her forget about worrying. If it was Ricken's, she could probably still pass of the baby as Chrom's. The only people that knew they were together were Lissa and Gaius. Lissa had no desire to destroy Chrom like that, and Gaius was perfect for keeping secrets. Still, she pushed the worries aside to be there for her daughter, and that helped a lot.

The nine months flew by for her, but were torture for Ricken.

Every day since he had lost Robin had been torture. It wasn't just the fact that he had lost her, it was the fact he couldn't show it to anyone. He had to bottle up everything and pretend he was okay, but then spend every night in his tent missing her.

When it was announced to the army that she was pregnant he lost all hope of her ever coming back. The thought that the baby was his didn't even occur to him. He figured another blue haired prince or princess would come into the world and she would be stuck to Chrom like glue. He didn't want her to risk losing her children just for him, simply wished that things could have been different.

When Chrom brought the Shepheard's back to the castle Ricken almost declined the invitation. He didn't want to see Chrom lording his happy family over him. His beautiful wife that didn't love him and his kids that he didn't deserve.

But declining the offer would have looked out of place, as Lissa was quick to remind him, so he reluctantly came along.

Of course, as luck would have it, it was within that time that Robin went into labor. Libra and Lissa were the two to help, being the most experienced medically, and all the Shepheard's waited to hear how she was. Gaius sat beside Ricken. Ricken wouldn't admit it to anyone but he still worried about her, and Gaius could see it.

Chrom came out much later with a big smile on his face. "Robin and the baby are both alright, he's a beautiful boy."

Ricken sighed in relief upon hearing they were fine, but still couldn't handle Chrom. It was Lissa beside him that drew his eye. When Chrom went back inside to see the baby, and the rest of the Shepheard's started talking among themselves, Lissa walked over and pulled Ricken to the side.

"He has auburn hair, not blue." She whispered lowly. "He looks just like you."

He felt as if he was going to explode.

He already couldn't let go of her and now he had a child too? How was he supposed to move on? He couldn't, not with his own child in the world. Robin gave up everything for her child, and he was willing to do the same for his.

But he didn't know what he could possibly do but ruin their life.

Chrom of course didn't see the resemblance to the smaller mage. All he saw was his son. Sure he didn't have his hair, or his eyes, but he convinced himself that he just took after his mom instead of him.

The next day Ricken was allowed to go see Robin. All the Shepheard's wanted to meet the new baby, and Chrom was glad to show him off. He kept calling him the heir, and they named him Morgan. Ricken knew Robin had always loved the name, they had talked about it before.

He's brought into the room with Gaius and Lon'qu. Chrom looks at them. "He's calm now, but he's just a baby. Anything sudden could make him cry." He said, as if they hadn't been a baby before. It makes Ricken roll his eyes, lucky Chrom doesn't see.

She's sitting up in bed holding the small baby. Lissa was right when she said he looked just like Ricken. The hair was the same, all in little tufts on his head. Lucina is beside her, looking around absently. When the men walk in she looks at them and smiles sadly at Ricken. She can see the resemblance, and she knows that Morgan is his child.

But with Chrom standing there, she isn't going to risk saying anything.

"Hello, thank you for coming," she whispers, careful not to startle Morgan.

The three men nod, staying silent. Lon'qu keeps his distance, not having much of a way with babies. Even his own son, Yarne. Gaius smiles at the baby, but then goes to the other side to see Lucina. Finding the older baby much more entertaining as she giggles at every little thing he does.

And then Ricken walks over to Robin and Morgan. The baby doesn't look at him but he can see him. He's so small in her arms but clearly so well loved by her. Instantly he feels a connection to the small baby, wanting to hold him and raise him.

"He's… Beautiful Robin," he manages to get out without breaking down. Every emotion builds up inside him again. Every time he looks at Robin it feels like he's losing her all over again, and it's even harder with Morgan. The baby is so innocent.

He thinks about Chrom raising him as his son and it makes him sick to his stomach.

He reaches out and touches the little baby, who doesn't react. Only his eyes wander to Ricken. Robin closes her eyes so she doesn't cry, and soon after Ricken leaves.

Gaius follows him outside the castle. Ricken is shaking and Gaius touches his shoulder. "He's… Your kid isn't he?"

"I'm going to raise my son," Ricken tells him. "Come hell or high water, I don't care how I do it but I will. That baby is not Chroms."

Gaius sighed. "You could be killed if anyone heard you talking about that…"

"It feels like I'm being killed anyway." Ricken swallows and looks at him. "I have to try something."

As much as it hurt him, he could live without Robin, but he wasn't going to be absent from his own childs life.

He had to do something, even if it killed him.


	13. Chapter 13

It was clear to everyone in the army that there was something strange about Morgan, everyone but Chrom of course.

Morgan looked nothing like the man, unlike Lucina who was almost a carbon copy. Worse yet, he didn't even look like his mother either. Sure, he had some features that reflected the tactician, her eyes were the most prominent, but his face, his hair, it wasn't hers. It only became more clear as months passed. More auburn hair grew, making him look more and more like Ricken every day.

But Robin never addressed this to anyone. Not even Lissa when she asked. She stayed firm in saying he was Chroms, even though no one believed it. No one would possibly question it to the two of them talking against the Exalt, or his wife, was a punishable offense.

Ricken couldn't drop the desire to wanting to be with his child though. He had tried to come up with a million different ways to get Robin and the kids away from Chrom, but so far nothing made sense. They would either get him killed, or get her punished. Then the children would be left with no one but Chrom to raise them, and that wasn't worth the risk. At least now they had Robin.

Within the time of Morgan being born, the war came to an end. The Plegians surrendered, no longer able to hold off the Ylissen army. It was a time of celebration, for everyone. The armies returned home, the Shepheards returned to the castle where they would continue to serve.

It was at a feast celebrating the end of the war that all hell broke loose.

Two large tables are set up in the dining room of the castle, enough space for all the Shepheards to sit together. Chrom sits at the head of one of the tables with Robin beside him, holding baby Morgan. He had been fussy for about a week, crying every time he's away from his mom. She of course doesn't mind doting on her son. Lucina is upstairs sleeping.

Ricken sits beside Gaius, not touching any of his food. Everyone in the army noticed a distinct change in the mage, mostly how he never talked to anyone. He never smiles anymore, never looks happy. He glances down the table at Robin, and then his eyes shift to Chrom right beside him. His rage builds up just seeing the Exalt.

"Don't do anything stupid," Gaius mutters under his breath for the millionth time. He knows Ricken won't listen, but still says the warning anyway.

Chrom stands and looks at the Shepheard's, the conversation stopping as he does. "I would like to congratulate all of you for the efforts you have put forth in this war. You have done the kingdom of Ylisse proud, and you have done yourselves proud."

The rest of the Shepheard's enjoy the sentiment, but Ricken rolls his eyes and sits back in his chair, taking a long sip of wine.

"Now, with the threat of the Plegians no longer a factor, I hope you will all stay loyal and continue to serve this kingdom. As Exalt I will continue to lead you into victory."

"You mean Robin will continue to lead us into victory?" Everyone looks at Ricken when he speaks. Perhaps emboldened by the wine, or by his own rage, Ricken makes sure his eyes lock with Chrom as he says it. "She is the reason we won the war."

Everyone then looks at Chrom. Robin pauses and then passes Morgan to Lissa, who whimpers as he's separated from her mother.

"My love played a key role in the war, she is a brilliant tactician," Chrom frowns.

Ricken rolls his eyes again. "Your love. I guess that isn't a complete lie. Love doesn't need to be reciprocated for you to use that word."

Robin swallows and stands. "Ricken, not like this, not now" she says and then turns to Chrom. "Just sit down, please."

The Exalt twitched in annoyance. "Do you have something to say to me, Ricken?"

"I do, and that's why I'm saying it," he stands and walks over to him at the front of the room, then looks at Robin. "I can't keep doing this Robin. I can't keep watching you with him knowing you're trapped."

"Trapped?" Chrom looks at Robin, "What is he talking about?" He asks. She doesn't respond however, still staring at Ricken. She knows he is risking everything to do this, and everything could go wrong. But in reality, he's doing everything she's too afraid to do.

"She never wanted to marry you Chrom!" Ricken snaps, feeling more powerful than before. Even though he doesn't have a single spell book, or a way to defend himself, he feels stronger than Chrom for once in his life. "She has been in love with me throughout your entire marriage!"

"You are lying!" The larger man snarls.

"I'm not! She was with me before you even married her! She was too afraid of what you'd to do her, to the army, so she's put up with you!" Ricken growls. "But she was in love with me! She still loves me! And I am sick of you holding the woman I love prisoner! Forcing her to marry you, tearing her away from her children!" He glances at Morgan who fusses in Lissa's arms. He'll risk everything but Morgan's life. "She doesn't love you, so she has spent half your marriage with me."

The snap wasn't as big as Robin was expecting. Barely anyone could see it if they weren't close enough, but she sees the look in his eyes change from anger to blank. The rest of the shepheard's look concerned, all on their feet and surrounding the two, willing to step in if needed. Morgan wails in Lissa's arms and Robin looks at her. "Bring Morgan upstairs, now."

Lissa doesn't question and quickly removes the crying baby from the room.

Chrom looks at Robin. "Is this true?" She still stays silent and he steps forward, grabbing her arm. "Is this true?!"

"Don't touch her!" Ricken snaps.

Chrom wastes no time pulling out his Falchion and pressing it against Ricken's throat. "Shut your mouth," he growls harshly. "Kneel before your Exalt."

Ricken continues to glare at him so Chrom presses the blade harder. "I refuse to kneel before a tyrant."

"A tyrant?" Chrom scoffed at the accusation. "Who has been the one leading us through the war? The war that just ended?"

"Robin," Ricken says, keeping his confidence. "You were so busy mourning Emmeryn's death-"

"Don't you dare speak her name!" Chrom snaps and removes Falchion, pushing Ricken to the ground, forcing him to kneel before him. He puts his blade on the back of his neck.

"You didn't care about your army! You sent thousands into battles unprepared because you couldn't pay attention, and you would've sent thousands more had it not been for Robin!"

Chrom's hand waivers at the accusation. "Ricken, for the crime of treason, I sentence you to death."

"No!" Robin shouts and runs forward, pulling on Chrom's arm. He doesn't move. "Please Chrom you can't kill him, you can't."

"Step back Robin!" Chrom still balances the cold metal on the back of Ricken's neck.

"Chrom please I will do anything!" She falls to her knees before him, shaking. "I will continue to be your wife, I won't question what you say. The Ylissen people will still see us and look up to us. Please just don't kill Ricken. I am begging you Chrom."

He looks at her with some pity, but also tears in his eyes. In his own way Chrom truly does love Robin. The tactician understood him, and he never saw her as afraid. He never would've imagined that she didn't want to be with him, never would've imagined that she would've been with Ricken.

But there's still a small light in his heart. He takes the blade off his neck and puts it away at his waist. "Ricken… For the crime of treason, my wife has chosen to take mercy. I sentence you to exile."

Ricken feels his heart pounding in his chest as he rises to his feet, looking at Robin. "You don't have to do this. You need to get away from this."

As Chrom's eyes are still fixed on Ricken, she looks at the mage she loves, mouthing the words "I can't lose you" as tears stream down her cheeks.

"You have ten minutes to leave this kingdom," Chrom growls.

Ricken swallows and nods, knowing at least he tried to free her. He walks past the rest of the Shepheard's with hot tears burning his eyes as he rushes out, knowing he has little chance exiled.

Everyone else disperses after that.

Chrom looks at Robin, the same intensity in his eyes that scared her so much before when he proposed. The unpredictable nature back. "You will remain my wife in the public eye. Come with me."

He grabs her arm and drags her up to their bedroom. He shuts the door and then paces through the room. She just stands there silent, hearing Morgan still crying in the other room, wishing so badly that she could go to comfort him, but knowing for now she is stuck with Chrom.

"Is what he said true?" Chrom finally asks after a few moments.

She nods. "Yes, it is true."

"You were in love with him this entire time?"

"Yes."

Chrom closes his eyes. "So you were afraid of me this entire time?"

She hesitates, but then nods again. "Yes… I was fulfilling my duty to this army."

He doesn't respond to that, but instead walks forward and grabs her hand, making her flinch away. Her eyes are still red from crying but she shows little emotion. "This is just a bump in the road Robin… We are still married. I still love you…"

She just stares blankly at him, unable to even process what he says. All she thinks about is Ricken, the danger he's in, how she will probably never see him again. But the cries of Morgan make everything worse. The child will soon probably be fatherless, at least of his biological father. He never even got to know him. "I need to go calm Morgan down…"

She goes to leave but he squeezes her hand. "Robin, please… Do you love me at all?"

She looks at him, having pure fury in her eyes. "No. I _hate_ you."

She yanks her hands away and then starts to walk to the other room. She doesn't get that far before covering her mouth and breaking down, her entire body shaking.

All she can do is cry, and listen helplessly to Morgan's cries.


	14. Chapter 14

It took almost a month for anyone to track him down.

Ricken seemed to take his exile seriously, going as far from the castle as he possibly could. He found himself at the Plegian boarder, the place he once saved Maribelle so many years ago. It was still dangerous, of course, but Ricken was much stronger than before. It was an open and wide area with some crumbling structures around. He wasn't the only person living there, several other thieves and other outlaws took refuge there. When they asked what Ricken did he'd stay silent. They didn't need to know what he and Robin did.

He spent his days practicing magic, with each day the explosions growing bigger and bigger. They were the biggest when he imagined his target to be Chrom, but he figured he'd never get another shot at the Exalt. If he came even close to the Ylisse castle he would be killed, the punishment for breaking exile. He wasn't sure how many of the Shepheards were still on Chrom's side. He's their exalt, the one that they have looked up to for years. Ricken is just the mage, that they all assumed was a child, who tried to steal Chrom's wife away.

He all but gave up on the notion of ever seeing any of them again. If it wasn't for Morgan he would've given up completely, but he had to remain hopeful that he would one day at least see his son again.

In one day, his hope for that grows.

It's that day while practicing magic that he hears the sound of a Pegasus. He nearly drops his books to go find a hiding spot as he looks to the sky, recognizing the red hair of the rider. Still, his first instinct is to hide. Gaius was loyal to Ricken, and Robin, but he was never sure about Cordellia. Before she married Gaius she was in love with Chrom, some of that might still be with her.

The Pegasus lands and he stays out of sight, hiding behind one of the crumbled buildings. She hops off her Pegasus and starts to look around. Ricken closes his eyes and hopes she leaves. She's an unknown for now, she could be there to help him, or more likely she's just scouting the area and punish him on first sight.

"Ricken?" He opens his eyes to see her. He grips his spell book tight.

"Cordellia," he says, mustering up some confidence, "I followed Chrom's orders, I left Ylisse. You guys can't punish me if I'm here."

"Punish you?" She asks and then pauses. "Wait here, I have to go tell the others you're here. I'll be back in a couple hours, okay?"

"Wait please don't tell them," he says and then grabs her arm. "Chrom will kill me please Cordellia you can't-"

"We're not here to punish you!" She groans. "Ricken, we're not here for Chrom. He doesn't know we're here at all."

He stops. "Really?"

"Yes! Now just wait!"

She rushes off and jumps back on her Pegasus, flying into the sky. He watches her and just swallows, wondering if he actually can trust her. He thinks about Gaius, how much the ninja helped him and Robin when they were hiding their relationship. Cordellia could be trusted.

But who were the others with her?

He found out soon enough. Cordellia, Gaius, Libra, Sully and Henry walked to the boarder. Ricken could tell the rest of the outlaws were watching, so he went down to get them, staying cautious as ever.

"Can you guys tell me what's going on now?" He asks.

"We've been looking for you for a month," Sully says, "You're a hard man to find."

"But _why_ have you been looking for me? Chrom exiled me. I shouldn't even be talking to you." He sighs and Gaius shrugs.

"We don't care much for what Chrom says," he admits. "After what happened… Well, everyone saw Chrom's true colors. He's back to how he was before the marriage ever happened. He's going insane, he'll run Ylisse into the ground. He's barely even listening to Robin anymore now."

Ricken swallows, remembering how ruthless he was. How he kept Robin up for half the night with war strategy, she'd complain about how he acted. And that was even before he had a reason to be mad at her. "How's Robin? And how are the kids?"

"The kids are fine," Cordellia says. "Chrom doesn't mistreat them or anything. Robin…" She hesitates and Ricken sighs.

"Just tell me. Please Cordellia."

"She's unhappy." She sighs. "She's just staying for her children, but we don't even know if Chrom treats her well anymore."

"People are watching out for her," Libra adds. "More people support you but they wanted to stay back at the castle to watch out for her."

Ricken closes his eyes and swallows. He can't imagine her living that way the rest of her life. "There's nothing I can do to help her… If I even get close to the castle then Chrom will have me killed, or captured by the army at the very least."

"Not if you're strong enough!" Henry sings out, seeming entirely out of place. Ricken raises an eyebrow and Cordellia nods.

"He's right, and that's why he's here," she says and Henry steps forward. Ricken notices the bag slung across his back, and Henry takes it off and tosses it at his feet, still with his unnerving smile.

Ricken kneels down and opens the bag, seeing the large books clearly. "These are dark mage spells…"

"We have to go back to the castle because Chrom will question it if we're gone too long," Gaius explains. "But Henry… If he disappears Chrom probably won't think twice about it. He's going to stay with you and teach you how to use these spells."

"They're much stronger than typical magic!" Henry says happily.

"Back at the castle we will be talking to the others, figure out a way to overthrow Chrom," Cordellia says, the words seeming strange to her still. "It's for the good of Ylisse."

"Even if you get all the Shepheards on board, we still won't stand a chance against his army."

"We think the army will rally behind Robin if we give them a reason to," Sully says. "They're tired of Chrom ordering them into dangerous situations. The war is over and he's still causing battles with other nations. He's going to launch us into another war if he keeps this up."

Ricken nods and stands, picking up the books. "Do you really think this'll work?"

"If we do it right, it'll be a piece of cake." Gaius smirks.

The others start to get ready to leave, Libra stopping and looking at Henry. "Send one of your crows when he's strong enough to fight."

Henry nods with a big smile. "Alright!"

Ricken steps forward to Cordellia and Gaius. "Thank you… For everything."

Cordellia smiles softly. "You're a good person Ricken. This is the best thing for us to do for everyone."

He nods and they all turn to leave. He watches as her Pegasus takes off again and the rest walk down the sandy path until they're out of sight.

Henry turns to the other mage with a smile. "So, want to go find some things to kill? You got a lot of training to do! Lots of bloodshed if you wanna be strong enough!"

Ricken sighs and then nods, leading him away to an area they can practice. Now more motivated as ever.

 **Long time since I've updated, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews are always appreciated ;D**


	15. Chapter 15

"Come on Morgan, please stop crying," Robin begs as she rocks the small baby in her arms. "I don't know what you want. You're fed, burped, won't sleep… Please stop crying!"

The frustration is clear in her voice, and it doesn't help when she hears little Lucina in the other room shouting; "Mommy!" She groans and paces around the room again.

"In a minute sweetie!" She calls, knowing the young girl doesn't understand what she's saying, but it stops her from shouting anymore. Chrom walks into their chambers and Robin glances at him. They have barely exchanged any words over the past month that weren't yelling at each other over something. Be it war strategy or their marriage, the two were constantly at each others throats. The only thing the two could usually agree on was taking care of the babies, but Chrom showed no interest in helping today.

Still, when Lucina calls out again, Robin can't ignore her. "Chrom can you please help me with Morgan? He won't stop crying."

"I have to go give commands to the armies," he says, just there to pick up some supplies. She frowns.

"Chrom we're out of war. I told you yesterday if you keep sending troops to other boarders-"

"And I told you yesterday to stay out of it!" He snaps angrily, only causing Morgan to wail louder. She holds the baby closer to her chest and takes a step back. The Exalt shakes his head and then steps forward, placing a hand on the back of the small baby's head. "I'm sorry kiddo I didn't mean to scare you…" He says soothingly, but he doesn't calm down.

"Chrom, you are going to cause another war," Robin says quietly. "Do you want our children to grow up having to fight wars you started?"

"Robin, stay out of it," he says, calmer this time, glaring at her with intensity. "You can't tell me you hate me and then still order me around like your husband. I am the Exalt, I know what I'm doing." He growls lowly.

"I'm not ordering you, I'm advising you," she says and swallows. "The army is losing faith in you, they won't trust you for much longer."

"The army lost faith in me because of your little boyfriend's outburst, not because I am leading them." He steps back and shakes his head. "We are going to advance on the Plegian boarder."

"We just made peace with the Plegians!" She says a little too loudly, causing Morgan to cry again and Lucina to call out from the other room.

"They killed Emmeryn, we never should've brokered that peace deal."

"Emmeryn wouldn't want you to destroy this country because of her," she says and Chrom glares at her, this time not just with intensity but with anger.

"Don't tell me what my sister would and wouldn't have wanted," He snarls. "And learn your place. The only reason you're still here is because I didn't want to exile the mother of my children. You do not control me; you have no control anywhere. You are here for them and only them. So get them to stop crying."

He stomps out of the room and Robin closes her eyes, moving to the bed she sits and continues to rock Morgan. Tears begin to fill her eyes but she tries to hold them back. "Morgan, please stop crying. Please stop crying…"

He cries for another couple minutes until Lissa comes into the room, hearing the crying from down the hall. A look of concern instantly comes onto her face as she rushes to Robin's side, seeing her sister in law crying along side the baby. "Robin, what's wrong? Here, give me Morgan…"

Robin is almost reluctant to give up the baby but does, his cries getting quieter as Lissa takes him. "I don't know why he won't stop. I've checked everything and Lucina…"

"Robin, you're stressed. It's okay," She says soothingly, both to try calm Morgan and Robin. "Just try calm down, he's alright."

"He's not alright," she says, her voice just a hoarse whisper. "He doesn't even have his father around. Chrom is going to send this country back into war, I'm going to have to leave him and Lucina…"

"Don't talk like that," Lissa says quietly, still feeling strange knowing that Morgan isn't Chrom's, but really not wanting Chrom to find out. No one really knows what would happen if he did. "I'll take Morgan for now, it's okay. He seems to be calmer…"

Robin nods and closes her eyes, hearing Lucina in the other room again. "What if he really does bring us into another war?" She asks quietly. "I can't have them live through that…"

Lissa swallows and nods, rocking Morgan back and forth until the baby finally calms down. She knows that what Chrom is doing is wrong, Emmeryn never would've wanted him to continue the war unnecessarily. But when Emmeryn died, something within Chrom broke. He wasn't the same. Marrying Robin did help him for a bit, but now he's back on the path of madness. Lissa always looked up to her brother, saw him as a capable ruler, but recently she hadn't been able to see that in him.

But when it was suggested that Lissa become the Exalt by some of the shepheards? She had to question herself as well. She had heard whisperings for about a week, but it was just recently confirmed by Maribelle. Everyone is losing faith in Chrom, and they need a leader who can fix what he has done wrong. Robin's name was thrown around too, but she isn't related by blood, and with Lucina and Morgan being so small… Lissa would be next in line.

"Mommy!" Lucina calls from the other room and Robin stands, taking in a deep breath and wiping her eyes. She goes into the other room to get her daughter.

Lissa looks down at Morgan and smiles softly, brushing some of his auburn hair out of his face. "Everything's going to be okay," she says and kisses his head. She knows it's going to have to get a lot worse before it gets better, but hoping she can shield the children from the mess that will arise.

Robin comes back into the room with Lucina holding herself close, resting her head on her mother's chest. Robin sits back beside Lissa and looks at her, smiling softly. "Thank you for helping with him."

"Of course Robin," she says with a slight smile. "Robin…"

The younger princess doesn't know what to say to the tactician. Seeing her miserable for the past month has been what has pushed Lissa to see her brother for who he has become. She doesn't want to turn against Chrom, but she sees the writing on the wall. Everyone hates him, no one will continue to fight for him if he keeps acting this way.

She loves Chrom, but seeing the country deteriorate to nothing, go into another war after they just finished one, none of those are options to her.

She can't tell Robin any of that though. Especially not with the children right here.

"Yeah Lissa?" Robin asks and looks at her, kissing little Lucina on the head as the toddler closes her eyes.

So, instead of telling her the truth, Lissa just gives a warm comforting smile. "Everything's going to be okay, I know it."

Robin gives a weak smile back and then nods, unable to believe her words. Nothing can be okay with Chrom in power, with another war going on.

The two go back to looking at the children they hold. Lissa looks at Morgan, in her heart hoping that one day he can meet his real father and that he'll be happy. She then glances over at Lucina, her true niece. The blue haired girl that looks just like her brother.

She hates the thought of taking her father away. But still, sometimes a true ruler must look out for what is good for the many, even if the few is her family.


	16. Chapter 16

Training Ricken in dark magic was no easy task, but Henry took it on with a smile. And laughter. Constant laughter. It didn't help Ricken at all though who couldn't help like he was being mocked by the dark mage.

"I thought you said you couldn't teach me dark magic when I asked you to before," Ricken said as Henry took his hands in an attempt to transfer power.

"Well, things have changed. You have been exposed to quite a lot of darkness! You aren't as pure as you once were!" He said. Ricken couldn't help but frown at the enthusiastic way he said it, but he knew it was true. Everything that happened with Robin and Chrom had changed him quite a bit. It had changed everything.

He never would have done the things he did before falling for Robin. Chrom was one of his closest friends and ally before Emmeryn died, he was almost like an older brother in a way. In the past, when Ricken heard the phrase "love changes people" he always assumed it was in a good way. Although then again, most people didn't experience love the way he did. They got to be with the people they cared for, not see them married off to a tyrant.

They practiced together for months, Henry proving to be a better teacher than anyone could've expected. Using dark magic still exhausted Ricken, but he grew stronger each day. Still, to him it seemed completely out of the blue when he sees Henry writing a letter surrounded by his crows.

"Are you writing to Libra?" Ricken asks and sits next to him. Well, as close as he can get without scaring off the crows.

Henry nods. "Yup! You're all ready to fight!"

"You really think so?" He asks and Henry nods again. "It hasn't really been that long…"

"Well you're dedicated! You have something to fight for that isn't just blood and murder," he says and finishes the letter. "I don't know why you would need more of a motivation, but oh well!" He ties the short letter to the crows leg and then the bird flies away, Ricken swallowing.

"What if I challenge him and lose?" He asks. "Robin would be stuck with him forever…"

"You have the shepheards on your side! All of us want to fight for you and Robin, so there's no way you could lose!"

"He'll have the entire Ylissen army at his disposal."

"Nah."

"Henry you can't just say no and have it be true," he groans.

"The army will defend Robin if need be. And he won't even bring the army! We'll be sure it's just a scouting mission or something. Lure him here, have you two fight."

Ricken stays quiet. He never wanted to hurt Chrom. Even now he doesn't want to hurt Chrom. As deep as his anger towards Chrom goes, he still can't help but see that there could still be good in him. He was deeply affected by Emmeryn's death and snapped, but that didn't make him bad. The thought of hurting him, of killing him, makes Ricken sick to his stomach. They were so close for so long. He tries to just think of Robin, and Morgan. His love and his son. Even little Lucina who he isn't related to he still wants to help. But even then, is he really helping her?

Henry looks at Ricken. "Are you alright?" For once the dark mage sounded sincere.

"I don't know if I can do this Henry…"

"Robin needs you," Henry says simply. "So does Morgan! Don't leave them with Chrom."

"What about Lucina? I'm killing her father…"

Henry pauses. "I'll tell you what Libra told us, because I don't care a lick about Chrom," he admits, unable to relate. "But he's leading Ylisse down a dark path. Right back to war! We just finished a war. This isn't just for you guys, it's for all of Ylisse. So we have to do this!"

Ricken nods and closes his eyes. He knows its something that has to be done, but he hates that he's the one doing it.

A few days later the crow arrives, and Libra reads the letter quickly. He sighs and then walks to Cordellia.

"Ricken is ready," he says, "At the next strategy meeting, advise Chrom that advancing on the boarders of Plegia will be a good idea."

Cordellia nods. Her stomach twists, not wanting to do it, but thinking about the good of Ylisse. As much as she once loved Chrom she knows it is for the best. Even though everything tells her not to do it.

But she walks away, knowing that she will do it anyway.

 **Short chapter but final chapter coming up so yeah.**


	17. Chapter 17

Robin hated leaving her babies at home, but Chrom insisted she come to the boarders of Plegia.

"We need a good tactician," he said coldly. "Never know what we're going to deal with."

Many of the shepheards volunteered to go as well, most of them knowing what was going to happen. Robin remained in the dark, no one wanting to risk the chance of her slipping up around Chrom in her state of near constant exhaustion. Lissa was kept in the dark too along with Maribelle. As much as they wanted to tell her, they knew she wouldn't accept Chrom being killed. That was the most likely result of what would happen. She had heard that they wanted to overthrow Chrom, but not in this sort of ambush. She was coming on the mission, much to the dismay of the other shepheards. Maribelle was staying behind to watch Morgan and Lucina.

Chrom brought the shepheards, and fifty soldiers with him to the boarders of Plegia. The march took two weeks, and when they finally got close Robin felt tense.

Gaius walks to her as they get closer and then watches Chrom as he walks ahead. The ninja grabs the tacticians arm. "Robin, a lot is going to happen at this boarder. Just stay close, out of harms way."

Robin stops. "What do you mean? Gaius do you know there are going to be enemies?"

"Robin, just trust me. Don't say anything to Chrom."

She swallows and then nods, not wanting to bring her army into a trap but trusting Gaius. He had never betrayed her before.

Chrom stays silent and stoic as he marches. All that goes through his head is Emmeryn, avenging her death. Nothing else matters to him. Even after seeing Grangel die it didn't kill the fire within him, the constant anger that he felt. Nothing could make him forget her death.

They approach the boarder, the shepheards getting tense. The boarder is quiet, winds blowing the sand by the small army as Chrom stops in his tracks. "Robin!" He calls and she steps forward to him. He looks at her. "Stay close."

She nods and they start to walk forward again. That's when he sees the two figures step out from the hills. Robin almost feels her heart stop when she recognises one.

"Ricken," she breathes.

Chrom glares at them both. "Ricken, Henry… What are you two doing at the Plegian boarder."

"We're here for you Chrom," Ricken says confidently, taking a step forward. He tries to keep his gaze fixed on Chrom, but it proves futile. He can't help but let his eyes wander to Robin, and it fills him with the emotion he needs to keep his confidence.

"For me? How did you know I was coming?"

Ricken swallows and everyone falls silent. That's when Libra steps forward from the group of shepheards and takes a spot alongside Ricken and Henry.

"It's time you're stopped, lord Chrom," he says, still keeping the title. "Either you surrender, and step down as Exalt or Ylisse, or we will be forced to take further action."

Chrom barely shows any reaction. "You three expect to take down your exalt?"

Gaius glances at Cordellia and the two step forward, walking to the other side. One by one the other shepheards move, and Chrom is left with Robin, Lissa, and his army behind him. Lissa looks at Robin with a panicked look.

"What's happening?" She asks.

"I don't know," Robin whispers, still staring at Ricken.

Chrom takes in a deep breath and takes a step forward. He pulls out Falchion and then looks at Ricken as well. "I should have executed you when I had the chance," he says and then turns his head to the army. "Capture the traitors!"

"He will only lead you into war!" Ricken shouts at them. "Another war that many of you will die in! Is that what you want?"

The soldiers don't move. Chrom looks back at them. "That was an order!"

It's then he notices that his army isn't looking at him for direction. All their eyes fix on Robin. She still hasn't noticed, still looking at the other shepheards. Chrom glances at her. "Tell them to follow me."

She looks at him, her eyes locking with his. Years ago she considered Chrom to be her greatest friend. She enjoyed serving alongside him and gladly would have given that order. But the man she knew then isn't the man in front of her now. The man she knew then wouldn't have ordered his army to capture all of his friends, everyone who was once loyal to him.

She looks at Lissa and then walks forward, joining the other shepheards.

"Set down your weapons! You do not need to fight for a leader who doesn't value your lives anymore!" She calls out strongly. She looks at the mage beside her with a small smile, and he smiles back weakly. Still filled with fear. "You can do this… I love you," she whispers.

The army lays down their weapons and Lissa looks at Chrom. The younger princess sees the rage in him reflected in his white knuckles that grip the Falchion hard. "Big brother… Just surrender."

Everything within Chrom snaps. He steps forward again, almost right to the smaller mage. "I will kill you myself!" He snaps.

When Henry and Libra try to step forward Ricken pushes them back. "This is my fight, I'll end this."

The others step back as Chrom lunges with his sword, Ricken only just managing to get a thunder off to block the attack as he jumps back. The strength is weak in comparison to the other dark magic spells he knows, but it's still instinctual for him.

Still, the exalt is stronger, and his legendary weapon only increases his strength. He slashes at Ricken who falls back into the sand and is quick to get Falchion against his throat, but Ricken raises his arm and blasts him with a dark spell, sending the other man back hard, just barely landing on his feet. He looks up and glares at him, lunging again with even more ferocity.

As they fight Robin watches in horror, trying to step forward Gaius pulls her back. "Let go of me!" She snaps, wanting to join the battle.

"Do you want to leave your kids without you?" He tells her, trying to stay calm.

"Then why aren't you helping him?!"

"He wants to fight this himself!" Gaius looks at the battle as Chrom slashes Ricken again, leaving another deep wound. As much as it pains Gaius not to jump in and help, he knows it's a matter of honor. Ambushing a man with his own army has no honor. Ricken wants to fight himself, so he will.

"Chrom!" Lissa screams, gripping her healing rod as if she would be able to heal either of them. She keeps trying to tell herself in her head that her brother will come back. He will get back to his senses and surrender. That it will be okay.

But inside she knows that one of them will die in this battle. And if it isn't Chrom, he'll die at the hands of another shepheard.

Ricken gets off another blast, that one hitting Chrom even harder than the last. Both take a moment to breathe. Even with Henry's training dark magic exhausts him. He almost collapses to his knees, his body in searing pain from the slashes he has gotten already.

"Chrom, surrender!" Robin screams, seeing the blood drip from Ricken to the sand below him. She thinks about her children back home. If the two men before her die then both her children will be left fatherless.

But Chrom is still blinded by rage. On shaky legs he stands tall once again, dodging one of the blasts from Ricken as he gets close enough to attack.

Chrom plunges Falchion deep into Ricken's stomach. The young mage takes in a sharp breath and hears Robin scream, then looks up at the blue haired exalt. He uses his last energy to raise his hand, blasting Chrom with a powerful spell. Chrom is shot back to the feet of the other shepheards, tearing the legendary blade from the mage as he falls to the ground.

Gaius is no match for Robin as she pushes him aside and runs to Ricken, Lissa running to Chrom. Robin kneels beside Ricken as Libra is by his side immediately, trying to heal the wound. Nothing happens as blood pours from his body.

"Ricken, I love you," Robin says desperately, looking down at him. "Please don't die. Please…"

Ricken can only barely open his eyes to look at her. His breaths are shallow and staggered as the energy drains from his body. He looks up at her with his eyes just like Morgan's. He takes in one last breath before he's gone completely.

Robin's hands shake and Libra barely catches her before she falls over. She doesn't make a sound though, the only sound in the air being Lissa's wails as she fails to help her dead brother. No one else moves.

No one knew what to say to Robin, or to Lissa. They just knew to hurry them back to the castle.

Robin just about isolated herself with her children for the first weeks after. Never talking to anyone. Anyone who saw her didn't see emotion, at least nothing like what she showed on the field that day when she kneeled beside her dead love. She'd smile at her children, but as soon as they were away she became cold.

Lissa cried for a long time. She knew her brother had been gone for years but now with no hope to get him back, she couldn't stand the thought of him never being there. Still, she had a duty to do, so nearly a month later she announced she would take the role of exalt.

It's the day of her coronation that she comes to Robin's room. She knocks on the door and Robin looks up at the blond princess, swallowing.

"Hello Lissa…"

"May I come in?" She asks.

Robin nods as she rocks Morgan in her arms. The sleeping baby is a painful reminder of what she lost, but still her joy along with Lucina. Lucina is in a crib in the corner of the room and Lissa walks over and looks at the young girl, reaching down and stroking her cheek.

"She looks like him…" She says quietly.

Robin isn't sure how to respond, not even wanting to think of Chrom anymore. "So you're going to be the exalt?"

"Yes," Lissa says. "Chrom did quite a bit of damage, but I've been told we can hopefully avoid a war..."

The tactician nods and then looks at her. "Lissa, I can leave. If you want. I've caused so many problems…"

Lissa closes her eyes and then shakes her head. "No… Stay. You and your children should stay. You guys were victims of this as much as Chrom, and Ricken…" She pauses at the mention of the mage, still staring down at the girl in front of her. "It's no ones fault what happened. Chrom wasn't himself. He wasn't my brother…"

"I know."

Lissa glances over at her. "So don't leave. Lucina is the closest thing I have to Chrom. And I want to be her family. Help her."

Robin nods and gives a small, genuine smile. Lissa returns it and they both go back to looking at the children.

After everything that happened, they still had the two little ones. Somehow, that was enough to make things seem like they could possibly be alright.

 **Depressing as hell ending but I hope you guys enjoyed it! That was a long fic to write but a lot of fun. I mean I'm pretty sure like 99% of it wasn't supported by canon, but ANYWAY. Hope you liked it, feel free to leave reviews if you want. But yeah! Last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story.**


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